Prisoners of Pride
by MadnessJones
Summary: An Irken smeet and a Vortian child become best friends during peacetime, but as adults everything changes for both their species during Operation Impending Doom II. Can their friendship survive invasion, prejudice, and loss? OC-centric fic.
1. We Will Do Great Things

_Author's Notes: Hi everyone! Welcome to my experimental OC-centric fanfiction. The universe of Invader Zim has so many different aspects to it that are hinted at but barely touched upon in the series, so I decided to write a fic from the POV of non-canon characters to show how life before and during Operation Impending Doom II would look from the standpoint of two ordinary people; one a Vortian and one an Irken. Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep the characters and world from feeling generic, and hopefully this will be a new and interesting read for everyone. Thank you for reading, and please favorite, follow, and review :)_

* * *

Chapter 1

We Will Do Great Things

The large monitors projected images of star clusters, suns, galaxies, and planets far away as they were fed into the research facility through the many telescopes sent to the farthest reaches of known space. Galaxus Center was the largest military research center on Vort, though currently Kee Wai and her father were in the civilian sector observing the panoramic photos and videos of outer space.

"Wow!" Kee Wai, a 4 year old Vortian girl, gasped in awe of all that she saw in front of her, "You get to see this every day, Daddy?"

"Well, not every day, but every time I enter this room," Her father replied with a warm smile as he ran his hand over her tiny horns, "Would you like to see my office now, sweetie?"

"Not really," Kee Wai replied honestly.

"Well you need to, if you're going to learn how I do my job," Her father, Tang Bar, replied, "I know being an accountant doesn't sound as glamorous as a chemist or a engineer, but my job is important to this project as well. Without my calculations no one would know how many monies we're spending, and without that information we wouldn't know if we had enough to cover the cost of materials, research, and labor. Our allies are counting on us, and we cannot let them down."

"Juba Ju says Irkens are weird," Kee Wai commented as she walked alongside her father down the catwalk toward his office, "He's that kid in my class that keeps ripping the feet out of his pants and sucking on his bare foot. He says Irkens are mean and they don't like anybody."

"Now sweetie, you know what they say about rumors," Tang Bar chided his Vortling, "I will admit that Irkens are a bit...I suppose the nice word is insular. They are private individuals that consider themselves benevolent yet superior. Frankly they would be lost without us guiding their weapons research, but there's no sense bickering about it. After all, Irkens and Vortians need each other. We are perfect symbiotic partners in a cold and unforgiving cosmos."

"Symbiotic?" Kee Wai asked, "I forgot what that means."

"It means we work together in perfect harmony," Tang Bar replied with a smile, "We Vortians are intelligent and are capable of making weapons, but we don't have the manpower or the savagery to defend ourselves against those that would wish us harm. Irkens are an entire race of hard-wired military drones that don't have the resources to make their own weapons. Separately we are both easy targets, but together we are a symbiotic team. They guard our orbit from intruders, and we make and improve weapons and ships for their armada to keep them strong."

Kee Wai grinned wide at that description. She knew Juba Ju was just being a jerk. Irkens couldn't be mean, because they protected Vort.

Kee Wai was glad today was the annual Children's Day holiday on Vort, because this was when Vortian children went with their guardians to work to learn the skills of their elder's profession. Kee Wai didn't really want to be an accountant, but if she kept coming to work with her father every year she would be certified as an accountant and then be able to attend a university to expand her horizons and maybe get to be what she really wanted to be; a chemist.

"Will I get to see real Irkens, Daddy?" Kee Wai asked hopefully, "I've never seen a real Irken before. Just dolls that look like them."

"There are Irkens working in the facility and some that will be coming by today to purchase equipment and train," Tang Bar replied, "However, we will not be disturbing them. Irkens are very particular about who they talk to, and we don't want to upset our foreign allies' sensibilities."

"I don't understand what that means," Kee Wai replied as respectfully as she could manage, though she was disappointed, "Why wouldn't Irkens want to talk to you? You're nice."

"They only speak to the scientists," Tang Bar explained, "Besides, this latest project has everyone working double shifts. The team is nervous, and I need to ensure we aren't over budget. This ship is so large that it can't even be built on the planet. The laborers are in orbit working on the hull and interior as we speak."

"So it's a ship?" Kee Wai guessed.

"Not just any ship, my dear," Tang Bar replied, "This will be the new flagship for Irk's leader. Tallest Miyuki herself commissioned the construction of this ship, codename: The Massive."

"So Irk's king is just taller than everyone else?" Kee Wai asked skeptically.

"Queen, and yes, she is," Tang Bar replied a bit more hurriedly; hoping they could get back to talking about accounting, "Irkens are obsessed with height. They think it is a sign of leadership and might. There are many Irkens that are taller than Vortians, and Tallest Miyuki is as tall as three Vortians stacked on top of each other."

" _Wow_!" Kee Wai shouted in amazement, "Is she smart?"

"I don't know, Kee Wai," Tang Bar sighed as he rubbed his forehead, "Listen honey, we have a long day today, and I'm going to need you to pay attention to what I'm doing. Okay?"

"Okay," Kee Wai reluctantly replied. She really hated business stuff, and not even the math could make it fun.

Tang Bar smiled, patted her head, and then pulled out a data pad with the ledger in one of the files. He demonstrated how he calculated their expenses and grants in real time, and then showed how he could communicate with the other members of the senior staff using the console. Kee Wai listened, but deep down she was just bored. She was just glad he was too involved in his work to notice.

 _Happy Children's Day to me..._ Kee Wai thought sarcastically.

* * *

The Irken ship docked outside the Galaxus Center and opened to allow the group to exit. A purple-clad commander marched out of the hatch first, followed by two dozen Irken smeets ready for their first day of hands-on training with Vortian technology. Most of the children were eyeing the weapons with eagerness and excitement, but little Dop, the yellow-eyed smeet trailing behind the group, knew he wouldn't get to fire anything or blow anything up, so he kept his eyes on the real prize; the ships.

"Alright soldiers, listen up!" The adult minding the smeets barked irritably, "You are all here because your PAKs have programmed you to serve the Irken Empire outside of our home world. Some of you are future elite soldiers, some of you are future pilots and navigators, and some of you are potential invaders. You must all learn how to translate your programming into practical skill. Failure to comply will result in an existence evaluation and eventual deactivation. Do you understand me, worm-babies?"

" _Sir, yes sir_!" The smeets all shouted as they saluted their commanding officer.

"Good. Now, follow me single file to the firing range," The commander ordered, "If any of you are not comfortable firing a weapon, then get over it! No snacks until your first task is complete."

There were a few moans of disappointment among the crowd, but no one openly protested. Dop fell back even further from the group as his tiny neck craned to get a good look at the large ships on display in the docking area. Some of them were Vortian civilian ships, and other were meant for the Irken Empire. Dop could already tell which was which because Vortians never bothered to paint their ships while Irken ships were always painted a beautiful violet or fuchsia.

When they got to the firing range, Dop was given a fully charged laser weapon along with the rest of his squad. He was already a year old and had yet to fire a gun, so he was behind the rest of his class. Then again, he was programmed as a pilot so weapons training, while mandatory, would likely not affect his future career options. He looked at the target in front of him and hefted his weapon.

The other kids fired off several shots, some of which hit the very center of the holographic dummies, but Dop's shots barely grazed his. He hit it sometimes, but not nearly enough to earn him a good score. Oh, he just _knew_ his commander would chew him out for this one.

He looked back to see if the commander was looking at him. She was actually talking to a Vortian with a data pad and a worried look on his filthy alien face. Dop then got an idea, a mischievous idea. This part of the training wasn't benefitting him anyway, and no one was watching. He could just leave.

Smirking impishly, Dop quietly eased his gun onto the floor and snuck out the back exit. He was going to explore the shipyard on his own, and then he would learn everything he needed to know to get the best piloting job in the whole fleet. He almost wanted to laugh at how clever this was, but instead he settled for grinning and sneaking away.

* * *

It had been three hours of watching her father work, and Kee Wai was starting to get thoroughly bored. Her father wasn't even explaining anything to her anymore and was instead engrossed in his files trying to squeeze enough money out of a grant from some university so the Massive could have another deck with yet another snack bar.

Kee Wai yawned and sat on the carpeted floor. When Vortians sat on their knees their feet stuck out at the front of their bodies, and Kee Wai wiggled her feet under her to see if she could tear a hole in the bottom of her pants. Juba Ju did that when he was bored, so why not her?

Finally she couldn't take anymore monotony, so she politely asked her daddy if she could use the bathroom, to which he said yes. She didn't really need to go potty, but she did need to move around freely. She promised herself she wouldn't be gone longer than 10 minutes.

As Kee Wai travelled the halls she found herself looking in every room she passed. Most were either offices or storage areas. She had wanted to see the scientists working or something else that was cool, but so far all she saw was drab work spaces.

After several minutes of turning this way and that Kee Wai found herself in an area of the facility that housed large steaming pipes, machines with blinking lights and touch screens, and little to no overhead lighting. She reasoned that this was probably a maintenance area, and realized she had been walking around the dark damp hallways for probably 5 or 10 minutes. Her daddy was going to be worried if she didn't get back soon!

She ran back down the hall, but then noticed there were four doorways. She didn't remember which one she came from. Kee Wai was lost, and she stood there and hugged herself when she realized how cold this place was. Was there even anyone down here? She needed to find an adult to help her get back to her daddy.

She walked down the seemingly never ending hallway; her light steps barely registering as sound over the thrumming of various machines and generators. She sighed in resignation as she continued to search for someone that could help her get back to the office level of the research center.

She suddenly heard the sound of stuff clanking on the ground and a tiny voice shouting "Ow!"

Kee Wai ran toward the sound of the voice. If there was a person there then maybe they could help her get back to her father. When she made it to the source of the voice she saw that the door to a supply closet was open, random junk littered the floor, and there was a overturned bucket moving around.

"Is there someone in there?" Kee Wai asked the bucket.

"Oh, _crud_!" The voice spat, "Whoever you are, you better not tell Commander I'm here! I mean it! I know how to parallel park!"

Kee Wai raised an eyebrow at the nonsensical proclamation, but decided to help whoever was in there. It sounded like another Vortling that was in the facility for Children's Day. Kee Wai was barely able to get her arms around the large bucket, but managed to pull it off. She then lost her balance and fell backwards; the bucket landing on top of her.

"Help! Get it off!" Kee Wai cried out as she tried to push the oversized bucket away.

The one who had been trapped, Dop, saw the struggling Vortling's legs kicking in a comical fashion and chuckled. He then pulled out his PAK legs and fired a laser from them; dislodging the bucket.

Kee Wai stood up, and then saw who the other kid was. It was an Irken. A _real_ Irken. He was much tinier than she had expected, but he had the green smooth skin, the big bulging eyes, and the metallic PAK. This was her chance to find out if Irkens were mean like Juba Ju said or a force for good like her father said.

"Hi, Irken. My name is Kee Wai. What's your name?"

"Future Pilot Dop," Dop introduced himself, "I'm here for training with a group of smeets from sector 5. What do you do around here?"

"I'm learning about my daddy's career," Kee Wai replied proudly.

"What's a _daddy_?" Dop asked curiously.

"Um...Do you only have mommies on Irk?" Kee Wai asked with a twinge of pity for the little alien.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dop scratched his antennae in confusion, "What do those words mean?"

"You know, a mommy and daddy. Parents," Kee Wai tried to explain, "Um, the people who raise you are your parents."

"You mean my commanding officers?" Dop guessed.

"No, silly! The people who gave you life!" Kee Wai elaborated.

"You mean the smeetery's robot arm?" Dop asked quizzically, "I have no attachment to that thing. It's a cold unfeeling object."

"Oh. So where do Irken babies come from if you don't have parents?" Kee Wai asked acceptingly.

"Jars," Dop replied bluntly.

"And where do the jars come from?" Kee Wai asked without missing a beat.

"Factories," Dop replied.

"And where do the factories come from?" Kee Wai pressed on with her questions.

"Irkens build them out of metal and stuff," Dop explained; not really caring about the details of factory construction.

"So adult Irkens _do_ make baby Irkens, in a way," Kee Wai reasoned, "My mommy and daddy had me by copulating with each other and then having my mommy grow me inside her body. They cut her open to get me out."

"That's disgusting!" Dop exclaimed as he stuck out his worm-like tongue, "You Vort-things are _filthy_!"

"We _are not_!" Kee Wai argued, "At least our babies don't come from the same place as pickles and jelly!"

"It's not that kind of jar!" Dop shouted indignantly, "Anyway you know what else comes out of Vort bodies? Dookie! That means you're made of dookie!"

"No I'm not!" Kee Wai yelled as she stomped her foot angrily, "Anyway you look like you're made of goo! You don't even have any fur or anything!"

"Yeah, well your antennae are covered in bones!" Dop countered.

"They're not antenna, they're horns!" Kee Wai pointed out, "And at least our eyes aren't big and goofy looking like yours!"

"At least you can see my eyes, which frankly surprises me!" Dop replied haughtily, "Your eyes are so tiny that if I was ordered to shoot you when I saw your eyes, I'd have to wait until you were breathing down my neck!"

"Good! It would save you on laser charge and give me time to come up with a plan to escape," Kee Wai observed with the same argumentative tone.

"You're weird!" Dop shouted.

" _You're_ weird!" Kee Wai shouted back.

The two toddlers then crossed their arms and glared at each other defiantly. After a few seconds of silence, however...

"So, you wanna be friends?" Kee Wai suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Dop tilted his head in confusion, "What's _friends_?"

"It means we do stuff together like play and whatnot," Kee Wai shrugged, "So, you wanna?"

"I'm here on business," Dop reminded her, "I have to come here to get my navigator license. I already know how to drive, but the license means I can get programmed by the Control Brains. It's just a formality really."

"You know how to _drive_?" Kee Wai gasped in awe, "I'm not gonna be allowed to learn how to drive for 10 years!"

" _10 years_? But you'll be old then!" Dop exclaimed incredulously, "This is an outrage! You're young, smart, and willing to learn! You need to know how to drive. Come with me!"

"Where are we going, Dop?" Kee Wai asked curiously.

"To fix an injustice!" Dop declared as he held his fist in the air dramatically, "I'm gonna teach you how to fly a ship. Maybe something small like a voot cruiser or a spittle runner. No sense getting carried away on the first day."

"You'll teach me? Really?" Kee Wai asked; touched, "Yay! Daddy was right!"

"About what?" Dop asked.

"That Irkens and Vorts are really good for each other!" Kee Wai replied, "Don't worry Dop, I'll find something to teach you too. I can already tell we're gonna be best friends."

"I highly doubt you know anything I don't," Dop replied casually, "But I don't really care. Anything to get out of target practice and the obstacle course."

* * *

The two children 'borrowed' a Vort hover car and Dop explained the controls as Kee Wai worked them. She crashed into a small pole separating the parking spaces, a stump, and a parked bicycle, but after a few minutes she managed to straighten herself out.

"Now the important thing is to always be precise with your coordinates, and keep the emergency stop button in your line of sight," Dop explained patiently as Kee Wai got out of the parking lot and out into the street, "In a vehicle like this there are no weapons arrays, so you don't have to worry about attacking anyone by accident while on the road. That being said, the right and left signals are very finicky. When you swipe do it carefully and slowly."

"I got it," Kee Wai replied as she gripped the joystick that was there in place of a steering wheel.

"Before you switch lanes look behind you," Dop instructed.

"Um...There's another car," Kee Wai pointed out.

"Then don't go yet," Dop quickly replied.

Dop had forgotten how long it takes the young of other species to develop. Vortian younglings weren't too bad, though their mental maturity took a while. Irken smeets were ready to go practically from birth and needed only to await physical maturity before they were considered adults. Vortlings, however...

"If I crash does it hurt the car?" Kee Wai asked.

"The car isn't alive, and even if it was who cares?" Dop asked impatiently, "If you crash it will hurt _us_ , and that's all that matters."

"Where should I go?" Kee Wai asked.

"Find a place to park," Dop ordered, "Parking is a very important skill. I should know. It took me longer to master that than anything else in my programming."

Kee Wai was too focused on driving to look for a parking space, so Dop scouted the area until he found a parking lot in front of a chemical supply store. He told her to turn in there, but she accidentally turned the wrong way and flipped the hover car over on the street. The car, no longer able to hover, dropped like a lead balloon (literally) and the kids were left hanging upside down in the car by their seat belts.

The car behind them noticed what happened and stopped. The Vortian couple in the next car worked together to flip the downed hover car back over, and when they did they saw two very small and very flustered children panting for breath and looking wide eyed at their rescuers.

"Oh, my stars!" A Vortian lady exclaimed, "Port Ding, look! They're just children!"

"Ain't it illegal for children to drive?" The male Vortian asked the female.

"Illegal?" Dop asked critically, "That's ridiculous! She'll never learn if she doesn't do it while her brain meats are still fresh."

"An Irken boy," The male shook his head in dismay, "Well, that explains a lot."

Kee Wai ducked her head in shame while Dop looked at the adult Vortians with disdain. Kee Wai knew then that her father would be so disappointed in her. Not only did she lie about going potty, but she also left the building with a stranger, talked to an Irken when she wasn't supposed to, stole a car, and drove the car badly enough to get caught. She was so dead.

* * *

Kee Wai and Dop sat in a break room in the police station awaiting their legal guardians to come get them. Kee Wai knew her father would be disappointed and angry with her. Dop wondered what deactivation felt like and if time really slowed down in the Irken mind before it happened.

"I hope no universities learn about what I did," Kee Wai lamented, "I don't wanna go to a bad college because I have a criminal record. Vortians that have been in prison never amount to anything."

"I don't think you'll go to prison," Dop replied, "And if they do threaten you with jail time, then I'll just tell them I kidnapped you. It'll make me look like I have leadership skills."

"You'd do that for me?" Kee Wai asked; overwhelmed.

"Sure. Why not?" Dop shrugged, "You called us friends, and according to that burly policeman over there friendship is a relationship similar to two elite squad members. That means we have to look out for each other to survive."

"That sounds about right," Kee Wai said as she kicked her legs in the air since they didn't reach the floor from her chair, "So Dop, what do you wanna be when you grow up?"

"Um...I don't understand your question," Dop replied in confusion.

"I wanna be a chemist when I grow up, or a medical doctor," Kee Wai told him, "I wanna make a difference in people's lives. Maybe discover a new element or heal sick children on war-torn planets. I might even be a university teacher when I'm old. What about you? What do you want to be?"

"I'm programmed as a pilot, so whatever career I'm assigned to will involve ships in some way," Dop replied matter-of-factly, "The highest honor is to be a navigator on board the flagship, but I would have to be tall enough for that. No shorties allowed. I don't really know if my job will be as a military or civilian pilot. That all depends on my future height and diligence in my studies."

"Programmed? So you _have_ _to_ be a pilot?" Kee Wai asked, "You can't be something else?"

"No, and I don't get to choose which pilot job I am ultimately programmed with either. That's up to the Control Brains," Dop explained, "The Control Brains are the hive mind of our world. They know everything, and they decide our fates. Even the Tallest listens to them. Someday there might even be a Control Brain on Vort."

"But I don't want a giant brain telling me what to do!" Kee Wai whined.

"Too bad. Sometimes free will must be sacrificed for perfect order," Dop replied firmly, "After all, it would be easier to train if you knew with absolute certainty what you were going to be when you grew taller."

"Well...um..." Kee Wai knew free will was better, but she didn't know how to argue the point when Dop made such a strong adult sounding argument for the Irken way, "Well then, I hope you get to be the kind of pilot you want to be. Say, you wanna go see if the cops will give us any juice?"

"I prefer soda, but yes," Dop replied with a small smile.

The interesting thing about childhood friendships is that they are more often than not based on convenience and a willingness to engage. Kee Wai and Dop argued every few minutes about which species was better and which way of life was better, but it didn't matter because they were little and they both just wanted someone to play with. This day, despite it's dubious outcome, was the beginning of a friendship that would last for a long time. Little did they know that someday their worlds would change in ways that would shake the very foundation of all they knew.


	2. Play Time

_Author's Notes: Yay! I managed a quick update! I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this new story. You guys are so supportive! Anyway, I don't have much else to say here except thank you for reading and I hope this next chapter is as interesting as the first :)_

 ** _CE:_** _I've never actually seen the movie "The Fox and The Hound", but I've heard enough about it to know the themes in that movie actually are pretty similar to what this fic is tackling. So, it's a fair comparison in that regard :)_

* * *

Chapter 2

Play Time

Kee Wai had a difficult time explaining to her father why she left the office building. He listened as she recounted getting lost, meeting the Irken smeet, and him deciding to help her learn how to drive. She knew this story would likely get her in trouble, but she and her daddy were close and she didn't like lying to him.

"I warned you to _never_ interact with the Irkens," Her father finally said, his face somewhere between anger, disappointment, and concern, "Do you have any idea what could've happened if you made that smeet mad?"

"I did make him mad. We fight a lot," Kee Wai replied obliviously, "But he's still nice. You were right. Irkens are helpful to Vortians. He helped me drive."

"You don't understand," Tang Bar shook his head quickly to force away the thoughts of what could have happened, "Irkens might protect Vort as a whole, but they do not value individual lives, not even those of their own citizens. That smeet has enough firepower in his PAK to kill you, and he wouldn't have given it a second thought if you died. I kept you away from the research area to protect you. Never go near another Irken again. Do you promise me?"

Kee Wai sniffed and looked away shamefully.

"Do you _promise_ me!?" Tang Bar screamed; frightening the little girl.

"Yes Daddy, I promise," Kee Wai replied fearfully, "I will never go near another Irken again."

"Good girl," Tang Bar sighed in relief as he patted her head, "I know I lost my temper, but I only say these things because I love you. Irkens can't feel love like we do. I just want you to be safe."

Kee Wai nodded before going to her room and sulking by the window. The sky had many different colored clouds as their orbiting star set on the horizon, but Kee Wai didn't care. Her mood was too grey to appreciate the colors.

Dop was her friend, and just because he was Irken didn't mean he couldn't like her. Then again she met him at her daddy's office, and she wasn't going there again any time soon. Maybe she would never see him again. Maybe it was for the best.

* * *

Dop had been badly beaten by his commanding officer when he was returned to the group. He sat alone in his quarters nursing the arm that his PAK had yet to heal and silently crying. He hated training, but he was going to be on Vort until he was tall enough to qualify for assigning. He just wanted to go back to Irk to get his stupid job and live out the rest of his stupid life.

None of the other smeets had sided with him, either. They said he was a deserter for leaving the target range, and a Vort lover for hanging around with that Vortian smeet. He hated them, he hated all of them, and he just wanted to forget the day had ever happened.

He looked out at the Vortian sunset and saw that there were many ships still docking and leaving the atmosphere. Little black silhouettes against the many colors in the sky made the scene look busy, and yet somehow empty. Everyone was going about their business oblivious to everyone else. There was no partnership; no unity. The Vortians were born with no purpose, and they served only themselves.

 _Are we really so different from them_? Dop thought to himself as he turned away from the window and sat back down on his cot. _Sure, we claim that we are all dedicated to the singular purpose of serving the Empire, but beyond that we're all on our own. Kee Wai challenges me, yet she also accepts me for who I am. So what if I'm a Vort lover? So what if I think a Vortian is more interesting than my traitorous team? So what? She makes me feel smart, and she makes me feel useful._

"Forget this mess," Dop said out loud as he extended his PAK legs and opened the window, "I'm already punished. I'll do what I want."

With those words Dop leapt from the Irken ship and skittered along the walkway away from the Galaxus Center. He was going to find Kee Wai, and they were going to play together and be friends. He didn't care what his hamfisted commander said or did about it. He was an Irken, and Irkens feared nothing.

* * *

Kee Wai wrapped her comforter around herself as she tried to sleep. The stars looked so pretty out her window that evening; the clouds having give way to the full panoramic view of the night sky. It was hard for her to sleep when all she wanted to do was stare out the window and dream about the hustle and bustle around those stars. She smiled as she pictured a Vort exploratory cruiser zipping across the cosmos off to worlds unknown.

As her eyelids drooped heavily and she was almost asleep, a shadow suddenly popped up in her second story window, making Kee Wai squeak in surprise and pop up out of her bed! The golden glow of two oversized orbs on the shadow's face told Kee Wai exactly who it was staring back at her.

"Dop?" Kee Wai whispered after opening the window.

Sure enough, the tiny Irken child was hanging onto her house using his spider legs. He smiled at seeing her, and Kee Wai stepped aside so he could come into her room. He was quick and completely silent in his steps as he made his way in, and Kee Wai wondered how it was possible for him to sneak around so easily.

For a moment the two of them just regarded each other without say a word, but finally Dop broke the silence.

"I forgot Vortians sleep," Dop stated as he tried to find his way in the dark, "I just wanted to know if you still wanted driving lessons."

"I better not," Kee Wai replied apologetically, "My daddy was furious with me. He says I'm not allowed to talk to anymore Irkens."

"But you're talking to me right now," Dop pointed out.

"I know, but he said _anymore_ Irkens," Kee Wai replied cheekily, "He forgot to mention you when he said that. Want a flashlight? I can't turn on my lamp because Daddy will see it and I'll get in trouble again."

"No, I have a light in my PAK," Dop declined.

He then pulled out a small bulb on a thin metal limb from his PAK and shone it a few feet away from himself so he could see the room. Kee Wai's room was fairly tidy, but he did notice a few stray toys and some posters that were taped to the wall crookedly. Kee Wai could see Dop better with the light on, and only then did she notice his black eyes and bruised neck. It looked like someone had strangled him. She gasped, and Dop turned back with a quizzical look; not knowing why she looked so scared.

"Something wrong?" Dop asked stoically.

"You got hurt!" Kee Wai exclaimed softly so her voice wouldn't wake up her father, "Was it from the car crash? Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry, Dop! I'm really, really, really, _reeeaally_ sorry!"

"You didn't do this," Dop told her without inflection, "My superior officer punished me for leaving my training early. I deserved what I got. I'll work harder tomorrow."

"Your super officer hurts you?" Kee Wai asked in concern, "You should run away."

Dop gave her a look like she had just proclaimed grass to be better tasting than candy bars. Kee Wai noticed but she didn't back down.

"An Irken never abandons their duty," Dop replied sternly, "Only defectives leave their assignments, and they are always punished severely for it. I might have skipped one training exercise but I would never run away from my Empire, no matter what. Would you run away from your, um, I guess your equivalent would be parents? Would you run away from them?"

"No, but sometimes I think about it," Kee Wai admitted, "Not because I don't love them, but just because I wanna see the world beyond my own little city and my own planet and stuff. I wanna see the universe someday. Don't you?"

"I will go wherever the Empire tells me to go," Dop replied with complete certainty, "If I am to travel, then I will travel. If I am not allowed to leave a planet I am assigned to, then I won't leave. You Vortians think too much."

"So...as long as you're here, what do you wanna play?" Kee Wai asked, deciding that their conversation wasn't interesting anymore.

"I wanna pretend to be an adult," Dop replied with a small smile, "I'll be a pilot for the flagship."

"And I'll be a chemist on the flagship," Kee Wai added happily.

"Vortians aren't allowed on the flagship," Dop shot down her suggestion.

"Um, okay then, I'm not a Vortian," Kee Wai improvised, "I'm an Irken disguised as a Vortian, and I'm gonna do, um, spy stuff!"

"So you're an invader?" Dop questioned.

"Yep!" Kee Wai chirped.

"Alright then, you can be Invader Kee Wai, and I'll be, um, Tallest Dop!" Dop exclaimed enthusiastically.

The two made up the game as they went along, with the bed being the flagship, the toy chest being the enemy planet, and various dolls and plush toys being different characters like Irken soldiers and enemy combatants.

"Invader Kee Wai calling Tallest Dop," Kee Wai said in an official tone of voice before giggling at her own impression of an adult, "The mission goes well. The bald-headed people of planet Baldy have just made me queen of everything! I await your orders, My Tallest."

"Good work, invader," Dop replied as he hopped a little on the bed to simulate hovering, "Leave the planet and come back to the flagship for the organic sweep. You get to fire the first volley."

Kee Wai laughed and jumped hard on the bed, making Dop bounce a little as well. Dop then took some rubber bullets out of his PAK and handed a large handful to Kee Wai.

"What are these?" Kee Wai asked as she examined the dull orange rounds.

"These are fake bullets that are used for target practice with primitive guns," Dop explained, "We've gotta do the organic sweep now, so we're gonna throw these things at the toy box."

"Oh, okay," Kee Wai nodded agreeably, but then asked, "By the way, what's an organic sweep?"

"It means we fire lasers at the planet until everything is dead," Dop explained, "That way we can make the planet whatever we want."

"Oh. Wait, even the animals?" Kee Wai asked worriedly.

"Of course. Who wants filthy animals on their fresh new planet?" Dop asked rhetorically, "Now come on, Invader Kee Wai. You get to fire the first shots."

"But...they made me queen of everything," Kee Wai replied; despondent, "If I kill them all then I'm queen of nothing."

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Dop sighed sharply, "The planet isn't for the invader. It's for the Empire. The Tallest gets to decide what to do with the planet, and I as your Tallest say planet Baldy gets torched."

"But that feels... _wrong_ ," Kee Wai said softly as she gave Dop a crestfallen look.

"I'm just being accurate," Dop pointed out, "Real invasions usually end this way. Sometimes they don't, but only if an enemy is useful and no longer a threat. That's not normal because most of the time the Irken Empire only fights against enemies that are a threat to us. Look, maybe we should just stop playing. I didn't mean to upset you. Can I have my rubber bullets back?"

"Sure," Kee Wai replied quietly as she handed them over to Dop, "So, if someone threatened Vort then Irk would kill them all...even the ones that had nothing to do with it?"

"Yeah. It's a pretty effective system," Dop told her, "Irk hasn't had a real war in a long time because nobody wants to mess with us. Tallest Miyuki doesn't usually invade non-hostile planets, but a couple hundred years ago we had a Tallest that would attack innocent planets for fun."

"That's horrible!" Kee Wai gasped in shock.

"I know. His name was Tallest Verr," Dop recounted, "Don't worry though. That was centuries ago when Irkens were stupid and violent. It doesn't happen anymore. We know better now. Only bad planets get the organic sweep."

"If you say so," Kee Wai whispered as she hugged herself.

Dop could tell that Kee Wai didn't feel like playing anymore, so he saw himself out and went back to his ship. Kee Wai was left alone to clean up the toys they had strewn all over the floor and bed. After she was done she looked at the clock. Only 2 more hours until time to get up and go to school. She sighed and decided to try to sleep anyway. It didn't take 5 minutes for her to drift off and dream about stars and planets being blown up by old-timey Irken invaders.

* * *

The first night of playing together became another, and then the days became weeks. Seven months went by with Kee Wai and Dop playing together as often as they possibly could. Dop and Kee Wai both had their lessons during the day, but at night Dop would frequently sneak away to either meet Kee Wai at a park or at her house. They became best friends really quickly, and soon the children found that they lived for the time they got to spend together.

Fortunately Kee Wai was often able to convince her mother to take her to the park, and her mother didn't know Dop was supposed to be off-limits. Dop had rigged a hologram projector in his room to make it look like he was studying at his desk instead of leaving the ship for the umpteenth time. They did whatever it took to ensure they got to spend time together.

They would pretend to be everything from scientists to superheroes to monsters and more. Kee Wai would often bring snacks to the park and share them with Dop, who was grateful because every time he failed an assignment they took away his snacks. He was good at driving hover vehicles, but he was failing his military training.

Snack time was usually the time when Kee Wai and Dop would talk, and those were the moments when curiosity would often lead to arguments.

"I'm just saying it's boring," Kee Wai remarked before taking a sip of her juice box.

"It is not. Uniformity is practical, and besides why would be change our biology for something so trivial?" Dop asked defensively.

"Seriously Dop, everybody's _green_ ," Kee Wai pointed out, "How do Irkens even tell each other apart? I mean, green is a pretty color and all, but you all look the same. We Vortians have lots of body colors. We can be grey, purple, pink like me, blue, brown, and yellow. I've even seen albino Vortians. But Irkens? All green. _Boring_!"

"Our eyes come in different colors," Dop mentioned, "Though to be fair vermillion is the most common color. Anyway, why do you Vortians care about colors anyway? Height is the true measure of a sentient creature, and most Vortians grow up to be the same height. Seriously, male or female, same height. It wouldn't be so bad except that height is always short! How can a species that's so smart be short?"

"I don't know. We just are," Kee Wai shrugged helplessly.

"Yeah, well we're just green," Dop retorted with a sharp nod of his head.

"I guess that makes sense," Kee Wai relented, "So what do you wanna do tomorrow? I hope it involves the park again. This was fun. I especially like the climbing bars."

"The climbing bars are too easy," Dop scoffed.

"Only because you used your spider leg thingies," Kee Wai rolled her eyes.

"Anyway this conversation is irrelevant. I'm not coming by tomorrow," Dop replied somberly.

"Why not? You have another test coming up?" Kee Wai asked unassumingly.

"No Kee Wai, I'm leaving Vort tomorrow," Dop informed her, his yellow eyes betraying a sadness he normally didn't allow himself to express.

" _Leaving? Why?_ " Kee Wai keened, on the verge of tears already.

"I was just measured today," Dop explained, "I've achieved the required minimum height to go to the Control Brains for permanent assigning. By this time next week I'll be employed by the Irken Empire for the rest of my life. So I, um, I probably won't be able to come back to Vort for a few years. I don't know where I'll go or what I'll be, but it's time for me to grow up now. I'm sorry I couldn't stay short a little longer. I think I'm the only Irken to ever say that, at least in recent history."

"So...will I ever see you again?" Kee Wai asked miserably.

"I don't know," Dop replied truthfully, "Some jobs have better vacation time than others."

"But you're only a year old! You're just a kid!" Kee Wai protested as she wept.

"Irken status depends on height, not age," Dop reminded her, "In the eyes of my people I am now a man. It's not my fault Vortians are slow to develop."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Kee Wai asked; feeling hurt and betrayed.

"Because we were having fun today," Dop replied with a rueful smile, "I wanted things to be normal for just a little longer. I'll never forget you, Kee Wai."

"I'm sorry I made fun of your skin," Kee Wai apologized as she held his hands in hers, "To be honest, green is my favorite color, next to blue. We'll see each other again. We have to. We're best friends."

Dop smiled at that, though there was a sadness to that smile. He knew Irkens lived longer lives than Vortians, and he also knew Irken memory storage was better. Was Kee Wai old enough to retain memories of him? He didn't know. He also didn't know what kind of job he was in line for beyond piloting a ship or vehicle, so he didn't know when he would have time to fulfill his own wishes.

When Dop left the park that evening it was for the last time. Kee Wai waved at his retreating form until she could no longer see him. She was sad he was leaving her, but she had hope that they would see each other again. After all, they were a perfect symbiotic team, just like Irk and Vort itself.


	3. You'll See

_Author's Notes: Hi guys! In this chapter there's a time skip, so Kee Wai and Dop are now adults. This and the next few chapters will show the history of their planets as well as their lives separate from each other. This part was fun to write, and I am so happy with the positive and insightful comments I've gotten for this fic so far. Detailed reviews help me see what kind of tone I'm striking with a story and whether or not it's the tone I want. Hopefully you'll like this chapter as well :)_

* * *

Chapter 3

You'll See

18 years had passed since Kee Wai and Dop had parted ways, and Vort remained mostly unchanged. The Massive was almost complete after 20 years of hard work and many scrapped designs. Kee Wai's father had remained on the project the entire time, and had so pleased his superiors that he was promoted to head of interstellar communications. He had joked with Kee Wai that he was now the space secretary, but she knew the extra money would come in handy for her aging parents.

Kee Wai, now age 22, had many successes and failures in her life. Her failure was that her grades weren't high enough to get her into a prestigious university. The local college accepted her however, and she graduated with a degree in accounting. Yes, she was exactly what she had tried so hard to avoid being; yet another family pencil pusher.

Despite the setback Kee Wai wasn't nearly as disappointed as she thought she'd be. Even though her career wasn't going well she was succeeding in another aspect of life; love.

Kee Wai had been dating a handsome Vortian man named Sol Ban for over a year, and it was clear that they were very serious about each other. Really, serious was exactly how she would describe Sol Ban in general. He took everything seriously, from his work to his personal life to his appearance. He was a perfectionist, which was considered a virtue among Vortians.

Kee Wai was so in love with Sol Ban that she kept his photo in a locket bracelet she wore. It looked similar to a watch on earth, but instead of telling the time it was merely a place to keep a treasured photo or keepsake. She loved his soft brown fur, his long twirling ivory horns, and his beady yellow eyes. His stoic nature made her feel safe, and his devotion to her made her feel loved.

On this night she was especially happy, because he was taking her to to a new restaurant in town for their date. It was a nice family style place that they didn't have to get all dressed up for, yet was nicer than the snack bars that seemed to be popping up everywhere these days. Kee Wai assumed the Irken influence in their culture was responsible for that.

There was a knock on her apartment door, and she squealed before forcing herself to calm down and slowly walk to answer it. She still get excited when Sol Ban came by, but she didn't want him to know that. He might think she was weird or something; she didn't know and she wasn't about to test that hypothesis.

"Kee Wai. You look ravishing this evening," Sol Ban said with a dashing smile when she opened the door for him, "That blue dress really brings out the blue in your eyes. Oh, I do hope I'm not tardy. My professor wanted me to stay late for extra credit, and my parents would have my head if they thought I wasn't giving my all."

"Oh, I understand," Kee Wai dismissed his concerns, "My professors used to ride me too. I guess It's a good thing I didn't try for that hyper genius degree. Heh heh..."

"Well I believe you would have gotten it," Sol Ban replied with a small smile.

Kee Wai giggled as Sol Ban took her hand. In reality she knew she wasn't nearly as smart as Sol Ban, but he never dwelled on it. Kee Wai however was very self-conscious about her intellect. A Vortian's worth was measured by their brain power, and she knew that a genius like Sol Ban could have any woman he wanted. He could go after a university girl or even a scientist from one of those magazines, yet here he was slumming around with an accountant. He was going to be an engineer someday, and she feared that settling for a mere number cruncher like her might be bad for his image.

Still, she couldn't give him up. He made her so happy, and she only hoped she could make him happy enough to compensate for the enlightening conversations she couldn't give him and the doors she couldn't open for him.

* * *

They got to the restaurant and noticed immediately the jaunty music and the roaring conversations from every table. The place was packed with wall-to-wall Vortians, and Kee Wai and Sol Ban smiled sheepishly at each other; not sure if they would be able to get a table. Waiters and waitresses galloped around carrying trays full of meaty dishes and sloshing fruit drinks. The place was so alive, and the jubilant atmosphere was almost infectious.

"Hey you, whatcha need?" A fat host asked the couple when they got to the end of the line.

"Two tables, good sir!" Sol Ban shouted over the noise of the crowd.

"Ah, yes. Very good!" The host smiled a broad smile before gesturing to a waitress to seat the couple.

The lovebirds were seated next to the wall in a darker corner of the restaurant since it was the only place left with seats, and then a plate of complementary meat cubes was placed on the table. Kee Wai smiled wide at Sol Ban despite the less than perfect accommodations, and then each started chewing on the rough meat cubes that had probably been sitting out all day.

"This place sure is busy," Kee Wai commented to start up a conversation.

"I know. We'll be lucky if we're even served tonight!" Sol Ban laughed goodnaturedly.

"Hm...You think we should go somewhere else to eat?" Kee Wai asked uncertainly.

"Like where?" Sol Ban inquired; open to the idea.

"I dunno. What about Lizz's Sandwich Shop?" Kee Wai suggested.

"Nah. That's an Irken place," Sol Ban dismissed the idea.

"So?" Kee Wai asked challengingly.

"So Irkens don't eat meat," Sol Ban pointed out, "We're carnivores, Kee Wai. I'm not going to a place where I can't get a good steak or a Vort dog. Nothing personal, but I'm kind of a picky eater."

"Oh, I get it," Kee Wai nodded; relieved it wasn't prejudice against Irkens that fueled his decision.

"Oh wait, I think our waitress is coming back," Sol Ban observed; relieved that they wouldn't have to go to a different restaurant after all.

For the rest of the evening Kee Wai and Sol Ban enjoyed each other's company and the good food the establishment served. Kee Wai told jokes, Sol Ban shared anecdotes from university, and they discussed relationship preferences like housing and children. The what-ifs and somedays of their future was a frequent topic of discussion, though for different reasons. Kee Wai was a dreamer that loved to think about the possibilities, and Sol Ban was a practical Vortian that liked to plan ahead. Either way, it seemed they shared many of the same goals when it came to being with each other.

Once their meal was finished and the check was paid Sol Ban offered to show Kee Wai his favorite spot in the world to be alone and think about complicated things. Kee Wai was curious, as he had never shared something so personal with her before. She agreed to let him drive her there, and soon they were off.

"Where are we going?" Kee Wai asked when they were in the hover car together.

"You'll see," Sol Ban replied conspiratorially without elaborating.

The place he took her to was a simple park bench next to a cobblestone path on the old side of town. Kee Wai raised an eyebrow, knowing it was unusual to visit an empty park at night. Sol Ban raised a finger to tell her to wait, and he guided her to the bench where they both sat down.

"Sol Ban-," Kee Wai started to speak, but cut herself off when she saw the intense look Sol Ban was giving her. It was that impassioned look he got when he was coming up with a new project or working the kinks out of a theory.

"As you probably recall me telling you before," Sol Ban began, "My great grandfather was a big influence on my life. He would visit us every day until he grew too old to make the trip, and then my family and I would go visit him once age caught up with him."

"I remember," Kee Wai nodded.

"He was the one who invented dehydrated Vort dogs, a staple food of the modern Vortian diet," Sol Ban continued; a fondness in his voice that Kee Wai found adorable, "He also encouraged my love of physics and rocket science. The reason this park bench is important to me is because this is where my great grandparents sat every day for 157 years. 157 years of marriage, and their love for each other never faded. They chose this particular bench to sit upon because this is where Great Grandfather proposed to Great Grandmother. Now..."

Kee Wai's breath hitched as Sol Ban reared back his head until his horns almost touched his backside. This was the pose a Vortian male took when he was about to propose marriage!

"Kee Wai," Sol Ban spoke as his head was angled to the sky, "I bare my soul before you, and humbly ask that you will join me as my life partner, from now until the end of our lives together."

"Oh, Sol Ban! Yes! _Yes_!" Kee Wai squealed as she jumped up and pulled him upright.

Kee Wai then hugged Sol Ban, and he nuzzled into her neck. She shivered when she felt him kiss her neck, and he sniffed her when he felt her hands explore his back and his shoulders. Even as they fondled each other Kee Wai turned her gaze to the stars. They were crisp as cut jewels and numerous in the sky. Vort's three lumpy moons shone in the sky as well, and even they looked good to Kee Wai that night. Her life was finally coming together.

* * *

It was always daytime on Foodcourtia. That was always the number one complaint most tourists had of the snacking planet. Dop got so sick of aliens griping at him about the fuchsia sky that never seemed to get dark. It was an artificially programmed daylight that had no off switch. What did those morons expect him, a mere snackey cab driver, to do about it?

Dop was one of a myriad of snackey cab drivers on the planet, and his job allowed him to see some strange creatures and personalities of all sorts. Even though it was Dop's job to drive the customers from one restaurant to the next, or from a restaurant to a hotel, he preferred to think of himself more as a professional observer. He got to observe every good, bad, and strange aspect of life without even having to leave his car. It was a pretty sweet gig, and the pay wasn't too bad either.

On this day he was driving for a female from a planet full of screw-headed people and she just wouldn't shut up. Dop tuned her out mostly and silently wondered why her people thought screwing a giant swirly probe into their heads was attractive or dignified in any way. To Dop it looked more like she had a brain control device lodged in her head.

"And then he just gives up and kicks the thing across the pond!" The lady was going on with some story or other, "I mean can you imagine?"

"Not really, ma'am," Of course Dop couldn't imagine. He wasn't listening.

"Oh, here we are buddy. Shkoogorghs," The screw-head woman pointed to an Irken restaurant, "What do I owe you?"

"27 monies," Dop replied stoically.

" _27_!? What a ripoff!" The lady shrieked.

"If you want I can drive you back and charge you twice as much," Dop replied condescendingly as he turned to glare at her.

"Fine, I'll pay, but this is robbery, pure and simple!" The woman harrumphed as she reached into a fold in her loin cloth and handed him her card.

Dop swiped the card, went to hand back the card to the lady, but then as a last-second thought sniffed it. _Bad_ _idea_. He forgot how much aliens tended to stink. She scowled at the face he made and left the cab; slamming the door in the process. Dop sighed and pulled away from the establishment in search of other customers.

Dop considered which restaurant he should stop at for lunch that day. Foodcourtia was a place where healthy food was nearly nonexistent for Irkens since most places either served deep fried snacks or ethnic alien foods. Because of this Dop, like most long time residents of Foodcourtia, was quite fat. He wasn't too short, but he wasn't very tall either, and his somewhat short stature made it more obvious that he was fat.

Finding no customers and not knowing where to go for food, Dop absentmindedly turned on the radio to drown out the quiet. Dop wasn't much of a talker, but he didn't like quiet either. By Irken standards Dop was very social. Not friendly, but social. He enjoyed the customers that rode his cab (as long as they paid their tab) and he liked learning about alien cultures. Ever since he was a smeet on Vort he found that aliens tended to understand him better than his own kind. Sometimes he still wondered how Kee Wai was faring.

" _Good afternoon, Foodcourtia and welcome back to SNCK.37 the number one station on Foodcourtia_ ," The radio blared as Dop lazily drove along the crowded streets of the urban planet, " _Our next song is an oldie but a goodie, so tune those antennae in for 'Off To War Again, Naturally'..."_

Dop listened to the high pitched singers and the marching beat of the war song, a popular genre on Irk. He was hailed by an insectoid creature with a horn on its chin and he stopped to pick the guy up. The alien didn't seem to mind the radio and didn't offer to talk. That suited Dop fine after that rude screw-head female.

"Where to?" Dop asked the passenger.

"The spaceport," The alien replied in a voice that sounded like multiple people speaking at once.

"Going home, huh?" Dop guessed.

"Yeah," The bug-man replied without elaborating.

Dop realized that the alien was probably in a hurry, so he sped up a little to get him to the spaceport faster. The radio continued to fill the cab with music for a few minutes, but then suddenly the station was interrupted by an emergency transmission.

" _Citizens of Irk_ ," The voice of advisor Spork came through the radio, " _It is with deepest sorrow that I regret to inform you that Tallest Miyuki..._ " Spork's breath caught in his throat before he could continue, "... _That Tallest Miyuki has been killed...in a horrible lab accident on Vort. As your new Tallest, I assure you the culprits will be found and dealt with. Vortian authorities are cooperating, but as your Tallest I urge you to not trust the Vortians until they hand over the ones responsible for Tallest Miyuki's demise. Remember, these aliens have betrayed us, and until they earn our trust again you owe them nothing. Today I urge all Irken employees to take tomorrow off to grieve for our fallen Tallest. She was truly an honorable Irken and she will be missed._ "

Dop drove the rest of the way to the spaceport for his customer, but his reflexes were on autopilot. His mind was reeling from this revelation. The Tallest was dead. His Tallest was _dead_. She never even got to test drive the Massive. Dop's fingers gripped the steering wheel until they ached. Like any good Irken, this hit him hard. He was sure Spork would be a good leader, but it just wasn't the same.

He hoped whoever killed their Tallest would suffer. He hoped they would be racked with eternal guilt and tormented in the smallest, coldest, wettest prison cell they could find. He drove his cab back to the hub; unable to focus on his work anymore.

* * *

The day of the wedding had finally come. Kee Wai was wearing the traditional floral dress of new life. Sol Ban was dressed in a floral one piece suit with a golden belt. He had chosen orange and yellow flowers for his suit's pattern, while Kee Wai had chosen green and white flowers for her dress pattern.

Kee Wai's parents were at the ceremony, as were her friends from work, her friends from school, Sol Ban's mother and 6 siblings, and Sol Ban's friends from university. Sol Ban's father, grandparents, two uncles, and an aunt had all died in a fire when he was a teenager, so the family he had left was important to him.

The wedding party was gathered outside in a circle as was typical for the ceremony, and a platform rested in the middle of the circle for the lawyer and the bride and groom. Sol Ban climbed to the platform first, and then helped Kee Wai up the grey stone cylinder. They were both out of breath when they got to the top, but looked at each other with such happiness in their eyes.

"Sol Ban and Kee Wai, you are embarking on a journey," The lawyer intoned, "A journey through time. Now you are two people, young and boistrous, but someday you shall be two joined souls, wiser for having known each other and kinder for having understood each other. Your community wishes you well in your temporal trek, and we now insist you sign a declaration of your vows before all in attendance. Tang Bar, the family pen."

Kee Wai's father, now old and slow moving, shambled up to the platform and held up an obsidian ink pen for his new son-in-law to take. It was a tradition that the males of the family would pass down the family pen carved from a type of stone locally sourced in their city or town. Sol Ban, however, didn't have a male relative older than him, and Kee Wai's family had no son, so he agreed to take Tang Bar's family pen instead of using the one from his own family.

Sol Ban signed a declaration of eternal unity, and Kee Wai shook with anticipation as he stoically handed the pen to her for her to sign as well. No words were spoken between them during this part of the ceremony and all that could be heard was the electricity coming from the data pad as the couple scribbled their names using the outdated ink pen.

Once the marriage was deemed official by the lawyer, Sol Ban lifted Kee Wai into his arms and jumped down from the platform. Kee Wai laughed euphorically as Sol Ban continued to run with her in his arms until they made it to the buffet table, where they would open the buffet for the guests and have a slab of the ceremonial steak.

The wedding was perfect, and the reception was just as good. Everyone danced to the sound of jangling bell music, a campfire was lit to roast Vort dogs, and The couple got to spend time getting to know their in-laws better. Part of Kee Wai thought she was in a dream and that soon she would wake up. That didn't happen though. This was real. Sol Ban was really her husband.

...

That night the couple spent their first night together in Sol Ban's house. Well, now it was their house. Neither one was sure what to do, so Kee Wai decided she would start by changing out of her stuffy wedding dress and into a comfy nightgown. Sol Ban agreed to wait for her in the bedroom, and when she left he took the opportunity to strip out of his itchy wedding clothes as well.

He turned on the TV and lazily started watching the news. Of course all he could think about was making love to Kee Wai. This was their first night together as a married couple, and Sol Ban feared he didn't prepare well enough for it. This was less than romantic if he was honest with himself. They were just chilling out at home. Then again, this was probably what the rest of their lives would look like, so why delay the inevitable?

"And so the Brackle beast was safely rescued from the cliff and returned to its owner," The news anchor concluded a story, "Back to you, Ched Karr."

"Thank you Blabs Bon," The other anchor replied to his co-host, "Our main story tonight, 3 Vortians were killed in the city of Shengri after they were attacked by a mob of angry Irken soldiers. This is the fifth reported incident of Irken riots after the untimely death of their leader, Tallest Miyuki, on Vort. The victims were all family members of the scientists that worked at the Galaxus Center. The scientists are currently under protective custody at an undisclosed location, and Irk has pulled all diplomats from the planet. Negotiations are at a standstill as Vortian officials try to placate our allies by offering..."

"Turn that thing off, honey," Kee Wai insisted as she sauntered closer to the bed.

Sol Ban turned off the TV and looked over at his new wife, who was wearing nothing but a see-through lace lavender nightie. She crawled into the bed, and he crawled closer to her in turn. Soon they were making love and were completely absorbed in each other; the outside world completely forgotten. It was the happiest day of their lives, and they were young enough and in love enough to believe it would only get better.

* * *

Irkens wailed in the streets of Foodcourtia, just as they did all over the galaxy and beyond. Dop was among those who mourned for the loss of their almighty Tallest. Nobody understood how anyone could have allowed this to happen.

Alien tourists of Foodcourtia wisely chose to stay clear of the main streets where the Irkens were in the throes of grief. The Irkens, already a race of violent soldiers, were looking for vengeance. The aliens knew that the Irkens didn't much care who they hurt as long as the Irken Empire didn't suffer alone. Therefore it was only the foolish and those that wanted death that would dare intrude on an Irken on this day.

After a few hours the Irkens finally went their separate ways, and that made it much harder for aliens to avoid the bitter rage-fueled beings. Dop noticed that many of his regular customers wouldn't look him in the eye, and as he walked down the street many avoided him at all costs. One six-legged guy actually scurried into oncoming traffic when he saw Dop coming his way! The six-legged guy was fine, but he caused a ten car pile-up.

Dop harrumphed and kicked a stray piece of garbage across the street as he walked. He was in no mood to drive, so he had left his cab at the hub.

As he made it to the Irken food district he heard a familiar voice call out to him. It was Gashloog, one of the workers at Shkloogorg's. Dop often ate there and brought customers there, so he knew most of the staff. Gashloog was an energetic Irken that was about the same age as Dop and a few inches taller. Dop usually enjoyed talking to him, and today he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts.

"Hey Gashloog, how's it going?" Dop asked casually, though both knew his lack of emotion was just a front.

"Did you hear on the news? Tallest Spork has been assassinated by the same blob monster that ate Tallest Miyuki!" Gashloog exclaimed; his tone betraying a hint of incredulity, "There's going to be another day of grief for him tomorrow."

"Oh, come on! Are we _ever_ going to be allowed to go back to work?" Dop asked despite not really feeling like working anyway, "How does this keep happening?"

"Don't worry, they caught the blob monster this time," Gashloog informed Dop, "And with the new Tallest soon to be selected they've beefed up security and the armada. I heard the new Tallest, whoever it is, already has a plan to exact revenge on our enemies and make the Irken Empire the most powerful force in the universe."

"That seems rather ambitious," Dop replied skeptically.

"Oh, you'll see," Gashloog declared eagerly, "Our invaders and our elite soldiers aren't going to let the inferior races push us around anymore. Someday every species in the universe will tremble before the Irken Empire!"

Dop didn't know how to reply to that, so he didn't say anything. It wasn't really any of his business anyway. After all, he failed his military training and had spent most of his life driving a snackey cab. What did he know about invasions and war? He was sure the new Tallest would know exactly how to handle the situation. All he had to do was obey his programming and everything would be fine.


	4. Unrest

_Author's Notes: It took me a while to complete this chapter, but it came out long so I guess that's a good thing. Most of this segment is Dop's POV, but don't worry, I didn't forget Kee Wai. I want to say more, but I don't want to give away too much. I hope you guys like this story, since it's one I'm fairly proud of at the moment. the world in "Prisoners of Pride" keeps growing bit by bit. Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll leave a review :)_

* * *

Chapter 4

Unrest

It was yet another day of driving the snackey cab for Dop, but the bloated cab driver didn't feel as calm and carefree as he normally did. He had noticed for weeks that Foodcourtia's Irken and alien tourists were avoiding each other, and paranoia about the future of Irk was at an all-time high.

The new Tallest had been selected, and there was not one but _two_ new rulers. It was unheard of for two Irkens to be the exact same qualifying height for Tallest, and yet it had happened. To be fair though, losing two Tallests in a week was unheard of as well. The Empire was entering uncharted territory in more ways than one.

While Foodcourtia was 5 light days away from Irk, it didn't change the fact that Irk's political backwash would end up infiltrating the crowded eatery planet. Elite soldiers seemed especially excited, and Dop wondered if something big was going down. He wasn't ignorant of the rage and bloodlust that had infested his people since Tallest Miyuki was murdered on Vort, but he also tried his best to stay out of it. After all, these were affairs that didn't concern him. All he was programmed to do was drive a cab, and he preferred it that way.

He was driving a reptilian couple down the streets of the Booshli restaurant district looking for a place called Gloooorb's. As he slowed down to search another cab sped up ahead of him and Dop nearly rammed into the offending vehicle as it abruptly stopped.

"Hey, down your's, defect!" Dop shouted angrily as he extended a PAK leg out the window and made a rude slashing gesture at the perpetrator.

"Get exploded, ya pig smelly!" The other cabbie hollered back as he stuck his head out the window, which then bumped into a low-hanging sign. "Ow!"

"Heh heh heh...glitch," Dop chuckled to himself as he looked at his rear view window to make sure his passengers were alright, "Hey, you folks see your stop around here anywhere?"

"Two more stops signs away," The male Booshli replied in a quiet hissing tone of voice.

Dop nodded and drove on in silence while his passengers chatted quietly among themselves. He eavesdropped on the conversation for lack of anything better to do. They were talking about the odd way Irkens speak. Apparently these creatures thought hissing sounded so much better than bouncy verbal tones. They compared Irken speech to the sound of a rubber ball bouncing down their own throats, and if Dop had been any other cabbie he might've been insulted. As it was he didn't see a reason to pick a fight with someone who had the ability to leave him a nice tip, so he drove on and pretended not to hear them.

After he dropped off the Booshli lizards Dop decided to go back to the snackey cab hub to clean his car. It took twenty minutes to make it to the hub due to all the traffic out that day. Foodcourtia was a place with constant traffic from ground vehicles to hover vehicles to spaceships, so Dop was used to taking way too long to only go a small distance.

The hub was one of the biggest buildings within a half-planet radius. There were only two snackey cab hubs to supply the entire planet with cabs to help snackers get to where they needed to go. Dop looked upon the purple building with tired bored eyes; not nearly as impressed with such a sight as many of the tourists would be.

Dop drove past the lobby and down to the washing station where he parked his cab. He got out the hose that sprayed suds and a substance akin to water, and then began to wash the cab from top to bottom. After spraying he started scrubbing down the overworked machine with a sponge. He took special care to clean above the rear hover mount where he had painted the cab's name in black Irken script; _Kee Wai_. Needless to say he was quite attached to his sweet ride.

"Hey Dop!" Another cabbie, Nalb, shouted as he started walking toward the busy driver, "Hey Dop, the Foodening is coming up in just another four months. I was just wondering...do you know anyone who might want to replace me? I wanted to use up my vacation time and avoid the rush this cycle."

"The Foodening lasts 20 years," Dop pointed out with a skeptical expression as he scrubbed a passenger door, "I know for a fact that you do not have 20 years of accumulated vacation time. In fact, it would take you 427 years, 2 months, and 5 days to accumulate enough time to take the entire Foodening off."

"You sound just like the Cab Lord," Nalb pouted dejectedly, "I hate the Foodening! It's always busy, the sheer number of people makes the temperature hotter, and the traffic gets worse! Just once I'd like to take the Foodening off work and spend some time on Irk or something."

"You are needed here just like the rest of us," Dop stated firmly, "So don't expect sympathy from me. Besides, I'm looking forward to it. This is my first Foodening. I hear this time period is great for earning extra tips."

"Yeah, _at first_ ," Nalb scoffed with a hand on his hip, "Then by the 10th year most of the diners have run out of money. Then the whole planet becomes a din of festering hedonism as tourists start exchanging illegal items for money, not to mention other favors. The Foodening brings out drug dealers, arms dealers, grifters, thieves, and alien sex in every hotel and back alley! Do you know what organic breeding looks like? It's _disgusting_! Especially the fat ones!"

Dop gave Nalb a flat look, and Nalb scowled back at the younger cabbie.

"I'm just saying, it's chaos," Nalb added matter-of-factly, "I want out, and I _will_ find a way to get a replacement even if it kills me. I can't do this anymore!"

"Just upgrade your cab," Dop suggested; a slightly annoyed edge to his voice.

"Upgrade?" Nalb asked obliviously, "What do you mean upgrade?"

"I mean upgrade your cab so you can break orbit," Dop replied, "You'll have to wait until a few months after the Foodening starts so your cab doesn't explode out in space, but then when you're able to leave and most other cabs aren't you'll make an obscene amount of monies. That's what I'm going to do."

" _Really_?" Nalb asked in amazement, "Can you show me how?"

"Of course," Dop nodded agreeably, "Just pay me 200 monies, and when I'm through with your cab it'll be almost as impressive as Kee Wai."

"You should probably stop calling your car that," Nalb advised as he looked to make sure no one else was listening, "I know that's a Vort name, and trust me when I say you don't want anything to do with Vort right now. The Tallests will probably invade Vort within the next few months. In fact, they might even do the organic sweep on Vort and wipe out most of their species along with every other living thing on that planet."

"You don't really think that, do you?" Dop asked; trying and failing to sound disinterested.

"Look, I don't know what your sick fascination with Vort is, but just forget about it," Nalb warned Dop, "They're as good as dead."

"I have no fascination with Vort," Dop huffed defensively, "I merely like the name Kee Wai, and I'm keeping it on my cab. You can't take away a cab's name after 24 years, after all."

"Suit yourself, but you'll lose customers," Nalb shrugged helplessly before sauntering away slowly, "Just remember, I want my cab able to break the Foodening's orbit just like yours can. I'll pay you in two weeks when I get my next check."

"See you around," Dop waved goodbye before going back to washing his cab.

Dop mechanically washed his hover cab, but his thoughts were light years away. Irkens aged quickly so he looked as adult as anyone else working on Foodcourtia, but Dop was only 26 years old. To an Irken who could live for millennia that was nothing. To him the Vortian girl Kee Wai was only yesterday's memory, and deep down beneath his mask of apathy he feared for her safety. He only hoped she had achieved her dreams of leaving her home planet, because that would be the only thing that would save her from the wrath of the Tallest.

* * *

Sol Ban and Kee Wai celebrated their one year wedding anniversary by eating a modest dinner of Vort dogs and Draft juice at Sol Ban's office at the Knits Teef Weapons Research Center. He had been hired just 7 weeks prior to work on a more efficient plasmarian battle tank design for the Irken Empire. The Irkens were angry with Vort and refused to send diplomats to the planet, so the Vortian government enacted a stimulus program to increase military spending so that they could appease their allies with more weapons.

Sol Ban had been hired because Lard Nar, one of the center's top scientists, quit when he found out they were still making weapons for the Irkens. Lard Nar was considered a brilliant engineer but a bit of a conspiracy theorist. He hoarded equipment for himself so he could make his own battleship. He claimed it was designed to escape the Irkens when they declared war on Vort, but everyone thought he was crazy. After all, Irk and Vort had been allies for centuries. Even if things got rough it seemed absurd to believe the Irkens would suddenly go to war over so little.

"These Vort dogs are pretty good," Sol Ban commented before he bit into his second one, "Where did you get these?"

"Bark's Bakery down on the corner," Kee Wai replied with her mouth full.

"Ah, that is a decent establishment," Sol Ban nodded approvingly, "They've been in business for 65 years if I remember correctly."

"67," Kee Wai corrected him, "Um, Sol Ban? Forgive me for being nosy, but...Why couldn't you just come home to work on these spec sheets?"

"Security is pretty tight around here lately," Sol Ban replied apologetically, "I wasn't even supposed to let you in here, but I doubt anyone is going to check up on me. I'm mostly left alone to complete my work when it comes to design. Collaboration doesn't come into play until we get into the building phase of our operation. I don't know if they'll need me for that or not, but since I'm new here I need to be willing to do whatever is required."

Kee Wai sighed sadly, and Sol Ban raised a questioning eyebrow to quietly ask her what was wrong.

"Sol Ban, I've been thinking about this whole Irken situation," Kee Wai poured out her concern, "And I can't help but wonder if maybe that one scientist was right. I forgot his name, but you know him, the one that quit and started building a battleship."

"He's clinically insane," Sol Ban dismissed her worries, "Lard Nar was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and general anxiety disorder. Don't worry, Kee Wai. These weapons will appease the Irkens, and then everything will smooth over and return to normal. Trust me."

"But why don't we make some of these weapons for ourselves?" Kee Wai reasoned, "Why are the weapons only for the Irkens?"

"Because people don't kill. Weapons kill," Sol Ban replied sagely.

"But the Irkens are people, and they kill," Kee Wai posited.

"No, the Irkens are not people. They are weapons," Sol Ban replied stoically.

"That's not true!" Kee Wai shouted indignantly as she leaned over the table to glare at Sol Ban.

"No?" Sol Ban raised a brow, "Consider this, Vortians value life. Irkens do not value life. Vortians are organic life forms that use tools. Irkens are tools that use organic bodies to move. The PAKs they wear are their very cores, and without the PAK the Irken cannot exist. They do not _use_ the weapons in their PAKs. The weapons in their PAKs are a part of them. Irkens are military programs that happen to look organic, therefore they are, in fact, weapons."

Kee Wai knew it was more complicated than that, but she didn't know how to refute Sol Ban's argument. It was times like this when she wished she was smarter than she was. Smart girls didn't get cornered in a debate like this.

"I hope I didn't upset you, my love," Sol Ban replied with more tenderness than a moment ago, "I know this is a delicate subject, but I hope you understand now why we need to give the Irkens these weapons. If we show the Irkens we still trust them to protect us and we will still provide them with their program's desire, then they will stay in orbit and keep us safe from the greater threats in the galaxy."

"I suppose," Kee Wai conceded, though she wished she could figure out more to say on the matter, "Um, Sol Ban? There was something else I wanted to tell you tonight, and I thought our anniversary was the perfect time to do so."

"Yes? What is it, Kee Wai?" Sol Ban put down his Vort dog and gave her his undivided attention.

"Last week I took a test..." Kee Wai began hesitantly.

"A test? Are you going for your super genius degree?" Sol Ban asked hopefully.

"No, not that kind of test," Kee Wai replied; her head looking down at the floor and her hands wringing together, "Sol Ban...I'm pregnant."

Sol Ban gasped and held his hands to his mouth. He looked wide eyed at Kee Wai, and she sheepishly looked back at him. She hoped he would be as happy with the news as she had been, but she knew that the pressures of the weapons contract might make him moody.

"H-How many?" Sol Ban asked; still in shock at the news.

"Only one," Kee Wai replied, and then she smiled joyfully before she said, "It's a boy. He's three weeks along, and in another eight weeks we'll be parents."

"Technically we're already parents," Sol Ban pointed out cheekily before getting up from his chair and going over to hug Kee Wai, "Oh, my love. _We're_ _parents_."

Kee Wai, still sitting down, put her hand on his arm and looked up at him lovingly. The world might've looked a little hectic at the moment, but they knew that their baby was going to make things better for them. They would just have to work extra hard to make a good home for their firstborn son.

* * *

It was two months before the Foodening was to take place on Foodcourtia. Dop had rigged his and Nalb's cabs to be able to pull away from the snacking gravity with little strain on the engines. Unfortunately, the Foodening wasn't the most exciting thing happening in the Irken Empire at the moment.

The Tallest had just announced a new initiative to assert dominance over the universe and conquer all inferior races. The plan was called Operation Impending Doom, and every Irken was abuzz with the news. Many were thrilled with the idea of finally unleashing the armada's fury on the weak, while a few dissenting voices were upset that helpful alliances would be broken.

Dop found it hard to get away from the news about the upcoming intergalactic invasion. One instance in particular stuck in his mind, and for some odd reason Dop didn't quite understand it left him feeling a little defensive.

He drove to Shkoogorgh's one day for his lunch break, and just as he was about to enter the restaurant he saw two invader class Irkens walking in front of him. It was a male and a female, both with fuchsia eyes and clothes, and both interchangeable in appearance. They were talking among themselves, and just before they went into the diner Dop heard part of their conversation. Being the professional observer that he was, he eavesdropped.

"Why did we have to come to Foodcourtia?" The female asked the male snootily, "I hate this planet! It's full of nothing but alien filth and military grade rejects. There was a table-headed service drone back at that one restaurant that demanded a tip. A tip! Who _tips_ defective drones like him?"

"I understand, but this place has some great Irken eateries," The male placated the female, "Don't worry, soon we'll get to invade all of the inferior planets, and then there will be no more aliens on Foodcourtia. It'll be a cleaner planet; a better planet. A place built _by_ Irkens, _for_ Irkens. Soon most of the universe will cater only to us."

Dop stopped listening once they went inside. He no longer felt like eating in Shkoogorgh's, so he went to the place next door without really knowing what was in there since he always ate at Shkoogorgh's.

When Dop entered the unknown establishment, he was struck by how clean and inviting it looked. It was a bakery that smelled of sweet oils and spices. It was decorated with lace and pink stucco with a clear display case for baked goods. A pale lavender Vortian female stood at the counter fiddling with her credit reading machine. When she saw that her newest customer was an Irken, something that almost never happened in a Vortian establishment, she smiled uneasily and she stood up straighter.

"Welcome to Ting Ting's. How may I help you?" The cashier asked politely, though Dop could tell his very presence made her nervous.

"I don't really know what to order here," Dop replied honestly, "I haven't eaten Vortian food since I was a smeet, and I've never been here before."

"Let me guess, Shkoogorg's was full?" The cashier guessed wryly.

"No, but the atmosphere wasn't to my liking today," Dop replied in a manner he hoped sounded friendly, though Irkens usually couldn't tell.

"Well, I know Irkens love highly processed plant-based foods, so I would recommend the Gildan bread," The cashier offered helpfully, "It's a starchy fried breadstick that's dark green and tastes kind of like your version of curly fries, only with more sweetness."

"That sounds great. I'll take an order of that," Dop replied gratefully as he handed over his money card.

"Alright then, your total is 3 monies," The cashier replied automatically as she scanned the card and handed it back to him, "Just sit wherever you want and I'll bring your order when it's ready. Thank you for choosing Ting Ting's and have a productive day."

Dop sat down on a table meant for five customers, but it hardly seemed to matter. Other than himself and the cashier there wasn't another soul there. That seemed strange since Foodcourtia was one of the busiest snacking planets in the galaxy. He'd never seen a restaurant that couldn't get customers in their door in his entire career, so he began to wonder just how bad the food really was in this Vortian bakery. He considered just walking out in case there were germs or something.

Just as Dop was about to get up and leave the Vortian female came back with a large paper bag full of ugly green food sticks. Even though Dop was wary of the food, he couldn't help but stare at the way the Vortian walked. He was always fascinated by the way they moved. It wasn't with the military precision of an Irken, but rather with a graceful deliberateness that could be likened to a cross between a spider and a show pony. It was as if every Vortian subconsciously believed they were beautiful, and that level of classiness intrigued Dop.

"Here you are, sir," The Vortian female offered the bag to Dop, who hesitantly took it, "If you want to order anything else let me know."

"Is your place always this dead?" Dop bluntly asked.

"Well, um, I mean we get Vortian customers sometimes," She stammered; obviously feeling embarrassed, "However, it isn't easy being right next door to the Irken Fry Lord's own establishment. Sizz-Lorr doesn't bother us much, but other Irkens tend to be quite hostile toward us. Of course I'm sure they had a good reason!" She was quick to add; remembering that her customer was Irken.

" _Us_? Who else works here?" Dop asked curiously.

"Well, I'm the only one who actually _works_ here," The female simpered, "Though my parents live upstairs in the apartment with me. This was originally their bakery, and it is named after my mother. They're very old now, so I take care of them and run the bakery so we can keep up the rent payments. We've considered moving back to Vort. I've never actually lived there, but things are getting pretty tense here. We might be safer on our planet of origin than we are in Irken space."

Her words made Dop think of Operation Impending Doom. Vort wasn't just on the list to be targeted, but was actually the most coveted planet on the list. The tallest most competent invader would be given that planet, and Vort would most likely be obliterated in the organic sweep, depending on the invader's recommendation and the will of the Tallest.

"Ma'am, take it from me, _do not_ lose this place," Dop warned her gravely, "For the sake of your family's legacy, do not give up. There is nothing for you on Vort. This is where your life is, so you shouldn't surrender."

The cashier then sighed and sat down in the chair next to Dop, which he wasn't sure he was comfortable with. She was the wait staff and he was a customer. This seemed a little too personal for his taste.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do," She admitted to Dop, "Our food is good, yet no one will give us a chance. This shop has been open for 30 Vortian years, and it used to be popular. Ever since Irk started frosting out Vort however, nobody wants to be seen in this place. We're being treated like we're diseased just because we're Vortian!"

Dop, feeling uneasy at the heated emotion expressed by this perfect stranger, started stress eating the Gildan bread. It turned out to actually be pretty good. Not good in that addictive way Shkoogorgh's food was, but good in a more wholesome homemade way that Dop wasn't familiar with.

"You like it?" The cashier asked expectantly.

"Um, yes actually," Dop replied; still surprised that he meant that, "I'm going back on shift in a few minutes. What else do you have?"

The Vortian's face lit up as she introduced Dop to her varied selection of treats. She even allowed him free samples so he would know what he liked before he ordered. When Dop returned to his cab he loaded up the front seat with bags full of odd Vortian snacks. He just hoped the lack of sugar didn't cause any more weight gain. Irken metabolisms required high levels of sugar or else they would slow down. Either way he knew he had just found his new favorite place to eat; mostly because it wasn't too crowded.

* * *

The next day Dop returned and parked his cab in the hub's washing area. He didn't really sleep much, and Irkens didn't stop working unless they had vacation time, so he would drive his cab all day and all night unless it was time to wash it or he needed to eat or change clothes. Dop actually found it surprising that for most species the work day ended. Then again, they had a lot more biological functions than an Irken to attend to, like bathroom using and baby making.

As Dop was washing his cab he noticed Nalb was running up to him with a quicker stride than usual.

 _Oh great,_ now _what does he want?_ Dop thought longsufferingly.

"Dop! Don't go out there today!" Nalb shouted wildly, and Dop gave him a quizzical look, "Dop, don't go out there! There's a planet-wide protest today!"

"Protest? On an Irken-controlled planet?" Dop asked skeptically, "Right."

"It's true!" Nalb defended, "Sizz-Lorr organized the workers from nearly every restaurant on the planet to refuse service until the Tallest give in to his demands. The cabbies are getting in on it too. I'm gonna refuse service as well. This is gonna be the best time ever! We don't have to work! We can sit on our butts and still make a difference. So, you in?"

"Wait a minute," Dop held up a hand to stop Nalb's rambling, "Demands? What is Sizz-Lorr after exactly?"

"Uh..." Nalb was drawing a mental blank, "Uh...Hey Rolk!"

" _What_?" A shrill voice screamed from somewhere in the parking lot.

"What did Sizz-Lorr want?" Nalb asked idiotically.

" _Neutrality, you nitwit_!" Rolk screamed back at him.

"Oh right," Nalb then turned back to Dop and calmly said, "Neutrality, you nitwit."

Dop facepalmed, and Nalb stared back at him without understanding just how annoying he was being at the moment.

"Oh, wait! I remember now!" Nalb suddenly exclaimed, "Sizz-Lorr says sixty five percent of our profits are from alien snackers, and if Operation Impending Doom forces Foodcourtia to turn customers into death penalty criminals, then Foodcourtia as we know it can't exist. He wants this planet to be a safety zone for aliens of all species so that they'll still want to come here. So, you wanna skip work with me and call it protesting?"

"If I skip work then who will take passengers where they want to go?" Dop asked with a hand on his hip, "I know this is important, but Foodcourtia needs me. Skip work if you want, but I'm going out there and doing my job."

"Suit yourself," Nalb replied with a dismissive wave, "You know something, Dop? If I had just passed that stupid psyche test I could've been an invader. Now look at me, driving a stupid snackey cab for a bunch of ungrateful germy worm-beasts."

"Then I say thank the Control Brains for the psyche test," Dop teased, "Good luck at the protest, Nalb. I've gotta get back to work."

Dop finished washing and waxing his cab, which took about an hour, and then went back to driving around looking for passengers. It was a strange drive, since for once in his life he wasn't being sandwiched in on all sides by other snackey cabs. He was alone in the air. That never _ever_ happened, and it felt a bit eerie.

Dop noticed as he drove by that he was getting dirty looks from the restaurant owners and even some of his fellow cabbies. Dop was beginning to question the wisdom of working when the rest of the world was protesting. His Tallest were against this protest, however. If he kept doing his job then he decreased the chances of being punished with the rest of the rebellious workers.

Then again, this was organized by Sizz-Lorr. He was a Taller, a Fry Lord...surely _his_ voice would be listened to if nothing else. Perhaps this protest wasn't doomed to failure. Dop made up his mind then and parked his cab on the side of the street.

As it happened he parked in front of Ting Ting's bakery, and he saw the Vortian cashier standing in front of her shop with two elderly Vortians; likely her parents. They were given a wide berth by the other protesters, mostly Irkens that wanted to avoid the _Vortian stink_ as they called it.

"Do you mind if I stand here?" Dop asked the cashier politely, "I don't know where I'm supposed to be."

"You're a real indecisive one, aren't you?" The cashier asked playfully, "Sure, you can stand here."

"Thank you," Dop replied as he stood in front of a window and tried to look like he wasn't restless and bored.

A few awkward minutes passed where the three Vortians talked among themselves and Dop stood there feeling like a big fat paperweight. He wouldn't be surprised if it _was_ actually possible to get reprogrammed as a paperweight by the Control Brains. It seemed there was no job too ridiculous or degrading for their capricious nature. He looked over and waited for the young Vortian to stop speaking to her parents before he dared to speak to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Dop called out, and the Vortian looked at him expectantly, "I never did ask you, what is your name?"

"Vio Mah," The young cashier replied, "These are my parents, Shir Lee and Ting Ting. Dad, Mom, this is my newest customer, um...what was your name?"

"Dop," Dop replied without offense.

"I'm surprised an Irken bothered to come to our bakery," Shir Lee commented as his wrinkled old head bobbed up and down uncontrollably, "Your people have been very unhappy lately. I understand, of course. If our high council had been killed by your people I would be upset too. I know how much your Tallest meant to you."

"Thank you, sir. It has been quite a loss for us," Dop replied respectfully, "We have moved on though. Our new Tallest will lead us to new heights and greater victories. That being said, I hope this protest works."

"Yes, I hear the Irkens plan on evicting all alien business owners from Foodcourtia," Shir Lee replied; his eyes barely able to focus on Dop.

Dop hummed an agreement to his statement but didn't add anything else. How could he? These poor aliens didn't know the half of it. They thought they were merely fighting eviction, but it was so much worse than that. Due to his loyalties he could never divulge Operation Impending Doom, but he knew if it succeeded and this planet was not made a sanctuary zone then all of the aliens here would be killed. They were fighting for their lives, and they didn't even know.


	5. The New Fry Cook

_Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long, everyone. So many ideas, so little time... Anyway, this chapter is pretty laid back, but there are some important events that happen here; just not a lot of action yet. Thank you for reading, and please review :)_

 _Fun Fact: Kee Wai's name is a play on the Japanese word Kawaii, and Dop was named after the Doppler effect, which describes how sound affects our ears depending on how close or far away it is. I thought it made sense due to Dop and Kee Wai having less impact on each other apart as opposed to together. Kee Wai just got her name because I thought the idea of a little Vortling was cute :)_

* * *

Chapter 5

The New Fry Cook

Much to the surprise of most of Foodcourtia, the Tallest granted Sizz-Lorr's request to keep their overcrowded snacking planet a neutral territory. Most aliens didn't really understand why Sizz-Lorr had ordered the protest in the first place, which Dop felt was for the best since if they did know there would be an influx of refugees seeking shelter from Operation Impending Doom.

On this particular day it was Dop's turn to coordinate the cabbies to their new routes for the month. Every month cabbies would get new territory so that nobody could hog the best tourist areas for themselves. Nalb tried to bribe Dop into giving him a prime location, and for that Dop purposefully assigned his shady coworker the stinging bug district. That would teach him to try to cheat the Irken Empire.

As Dop typed out routes into the master computer, the small TV in the dispatch office softly played behind him; creating white noise so he wouldn't feel so bored. He gave Rolk the frozen treats district, Bloob the central Irken food district, Kips the gourmet and overly-prepared district, and Dree the grocery and supply district (which was a lousy district since only proprietors went there).

He still had dozens of cabbies to assign, so he tried to focus on his work, but soon he was distracted by a frantic sounding newscaster on the TV behind him. Dop turned around to see what story was so shocking that it freaked out a professional journalist, only to see that the capital city of Irk was _on fire_.

"-a real doozy!" The newscaster shouted to his coworkers, "The giant doom bot has penetrated the defenses of three major cities and thousands of casualties have already been reported! It's madness! MADNESS! We're all doomed! DOOOOMED!"

"Holy Irk!" Dop exclaimed as he watched the scene unfold from his TV screen, "What the pit happened over there? Our enemies don't even know we're coming, so who hijacked that doom bot?"

"HOLY MOTHER OF MAYHEM!" The newscaster screamed, but then casually turned to the camera and reported, "We have just received word that the doom bot's commander is an Irken invader by the name of Zim. The Tallest urge you to remain in your homes, unless the doom bot is coming toward you, in which case you should run away and scream. Thank you and goodnight. OH NO, NOW IT'S SHOOTING LASERS! _YAAAAH_!"

Dop turned off the TV and sighed. Irk was burning to the ground thanks to a self-hating harbinger of death named Zim. Irkens like Zim were exactly what was wrong with the system. Dop hated it when willful Irkens turned on their own kind. This guy was clearly some sort of defective serial killer or something. There was simply no other explanation.

Unfortunately there was nothing Dop could do from Foodcourtia to help those poor people on Irk, so he went back to assigning routes to his fellow cabbies and tried to put the ugliness out of his mind.

* * *

Kee Wai's pregnancy, like that of most Vortians, was quick and uneventful. Sol Ban knew that Kee Wai would feel heavy and have slight difficulty breathing, so he stayed close by to ensure she was comfortable and he was available to tend to her every need. He had to take off work for this event, but this was nothing new in Vortian culture so no one batted an eye at his absence.

Vortians placed a high value on physical and emotional comfort, so flex time was a common occurrence in their society. Sol Ban still remembered the way an Irken colleague's jaw dropped at the idea of there being couches at work and Vortians taking entire weeks off for vacation every year. Sol Ban chuckled at the memory.

Kee Wai didn't like feeling useless despite her pregnancy, so she would get up every now and then when Sol Ban wasn't looking to do minor chores around the house. She was afraid if she slowed down that she would never be able to accomplish as much again. They had recently moved into a house large enough to accommodate the new addition, but Kee Wai had farther to walk to do her chores so she was beginning to regret that decision.

She was folding a load of laundry and humming to herself when the inevitable happened. She felt a tug in her legs, common for Vortian females in this situation, and suddenly her water broke while she was standing there in front of the washing machine.

" _Sol Ban!_ " Kee Wai screamed immediately as she carefully set aside the laundry so it wouldn't get dirty again, "Sol Ban, I need you!"

Sol Ban came rushing into the kitchen and was already speaking to her before he even reached her location.

"I told you not to try to do the laundry," Sol Ban chastised her, "You probably pulled a- oh my..." He gasped when he finally saw her and the condition she was in, "Hurry up honey, and we'll get you to the birthing center."

"'Hurry up' he says," Kee Wai muttered under her breath as she started waddling to the car garage, "I'm in labor and weigh as much as a house and he wants me to hurry. For a genius he can be a real idiot."

Kee Wai managed to make her way from the kitchen to the garage and into the passenger seat of the car. She leaned the seat back so she wouldn't be sitting on the baby, and Sol Ban got in the driver's seat so they could get going. He pushed the ignition button, but nothing happened. He pushed it again, and a warning indicator appeared on his screen that informed him that the energy converter was damaged and the car wouldn't start until he replaced it.

"Oh, holy Blorch!" Sol Ban cursed, "I'm sorry beloved, but the car won't start. We'll have to walk to the bus stop."

"I don't know if I can make it!" Kee Wai grunted as her body forced her to push.

"Yes you can," Sol Ban assured her, "Don't worry, I'll help you. Let's see now, how to get you to the birthing center...?"

Despite their advanced technology, Vortians were held back in certain aspects of life by their literal thinking. Ambulances were for the sick and injured, and since pregnancy was considered neither illness nor injury they wouldn't take a pregnant female to the hospital. This left the young couple in quite the bind.

Sol Ban noticed a wheelbarrow in the corner of the garage, and that gave him an idea. He dumped the paint cans that were on top of the wheelbarrow and rolled it over for Kee Wai. She looked at him skeptically, and he nodded at her encouragingly. She sighed but finally relented and crawled into the outmoded piece of farm equipment and let Sol Ban drive her around in it like it was a reverse rickshaw.

They traveled the four blocks to the bus stop, and by the time they got there Sol Ban was exhausted. Kee Wai was still pushing, but the baby wasn't crowning yet. She breathed quickly as her body tried to circulate enough air, and Sol Ban rubbed her head around the horns to relieve some stress.

"Hey, you two!" A grumpy man waiting for the bus shouted.

Kee Wai and Sol Ban looked at him, and he pointed to a sign over the bus bench that read: NO LITTERING. Kee Wai grumbled irritably and Sol Ban groaned miserably. Since when was a single newborn a litter? Nonetheless, the message was clear. The couple couldn't have the baby at the bus stop. Sol Ban picked up the handles of the wheelbarrow and decided he would just roll Kee Wai the rest of the way there.

Kee Wai started screaming again, and Sol Ban wondered if they'd even make it to the hospital in time for the birth. He had to get her there soon. If something went wrong he wouldn't be able to live with himself. This was his wife's and his child's lives on the line, and he needed to be a competent husband.

"Honey..." Kee Wai breathed as she tried to avoid screaming in pain again, "Honey, I need you to pull down my underwear."

"Excuse me?" Sol Ban asked nervously; already sure he knew where this was going.

"Sol Ban...the baby's coming," Kee Wai confirmed his suspicions, "I need to deliver now!"

"Can't you hold it?" Sol Ban asked, but then realized how idiotic that sounded, "I apologize, beloved. Hold on."

Sol Ban parked the wheelbarrow behind a tree and lifted her out so she wouldn't feel as bunched up inside the thing. Kee Wai pulled off her lower garments and started pacing back and forth. Sol Ban wished she would lay down for this, but Kee Wai's body wouldn't allow her to stop moving.

Finally, after ten minutes of frantic pacing, Kee Wai suddenly let out a blood curdling shriek and held onto the tree like a lifeline. Sol Ban gasped in shock, and then saw that the baby was coming out. He grabbed Kee Wai's skirt and held it below her so he could catch the baby when it came. Kee Wai clawed into the tree, and suddenly the baby fell out and onto the awaiting cloth in its father's arms.

Kee Wai, exhausted from the endeavor, fell to the ground and started panting. Sol Ban knelt down to be next to her and showed her the baby, still in need of being cleaned up.

"Is that our baby?" Kee Wai asked; in a daze after that experience.

"Yes beloved, it's our son," Sol Ban replied with the most serene smile she had ever seen on her husband's face, "He has my brown fur, and two tiny beige nubs on his head."

Sol Ban then started rubbing the newborn's back, which was how Vortians got the lungs working in their offspring. The baby coughed a few times, and then started making gurgling noises.

"Oh honey, he's perfect," Kee Wai sighed lovingly when she saw the baby up close, "He looks just like you...if you were covered in goo. What's his name?"

"We discussed names, remember?" Sol Ban asked, and she gave him an embarrassed smile that told him she didn't remember, "You said you wanted to name our son after both of our great grandfather's first names."

"Oh yeah," Kee Wai finally remembered, "Dun Lard. His name is Dun Lard. Can I hold him?"

"You probably should," Sol Ban chuckled, "I need you both back in the wheelbarrow so I can take you to the birthing center for analysis and registry. Can you stand?"

"Not yet," Kee Wai replied bashfully, "I know I sound like a wimp, but carry me?"

Sol Ban laughed at the unassuming childish smile she was trying to pull off. He gave her the baby before lifting them both up and into the wheelbarrow. Sol Ban felt like he had just survived a natural disaster, and yet also felt like the luckiest man on Vort. He had a beautiful wife who hadn't died, a new son, and he was the first one to ever hold said son. It couldn't get much better despite the trouble this birth had caused the young couple, and they knew their son would do great things for them and their world when he grew up.

* * *

The trial of Invader Zim was the most talked about court case Irken society had seen in years. Many wondered what kind of horrible torturous fate the Control Brains would give the Irken that dared invade his own planet and nearly destroy everything their civilization had worked so hard to build.

Even Dop was not immune to the hype surrounding the Zim trial. He and his coworkers watched the proceedings with keen interest in between their shifts, and Dop even talked about it with Vio Mah at the bakery when he went on his lunch break. She thought the deactivation penalty was barbaric, but what did some Vortian baker know about the Irken machine anyway?

Dop hardly ever ate anywhere else since he discovered the Vortian bakery. It earned him the attention and occasional scorn of his fellow cabbies. Vort was still one of the most hated alien planets to Irkens since the death of Tallest Miyuki. The Vortians were still one of Irk's most reliable assets, but that didn't seem to matter anymore. Dop was a little disheartened by this, but he knew better than to question the will of his leaders and the populace.

Despite not outright disagreeing with policy regarding the treatment of Vort, Dop still liked the Vortian race deep down, and he liked Vio Mah and her family. Occasionally he would also think back to his smeethood with Kee Wai and wonder how the pink Vortian girl was doing. In his mind she was still tiny and innocent, and since he didn't know how quickly or slowly Vortians aged he could keep thinking that way.

The day finally came when the Control Brains announced their decision on what to do with Zim. Most of the Empire rejoiced at being rid of the horrible little pest, but the cabbies cried out in anguish when they heard the news. He was being reformatted as a fry cook and sent to Foodcourtia!

" _Nooo_!" Rolk screamed, "We have enough problems with the blooping tourists! Now we have to worry about _him_!?"

"I wonder which restaurant they'll send him to?" Another cabbie asked.

"Oh please, _please_ not Schkoogorg's!" Nalb begged whatever higher power might be listening, "I'll starve!"

"You could come eat with me at the bakery," Dop suggested.

An awkward pause.

"...I'll starve!" Nalb repeated dramatically.

Everyone was grumbling, and even Dop couldn't put a positive spin on this. Their leaders and the Control Brains had thrown them under the shuttle and now they were stuck with Zim.

...

Sure enough, former invader Zim was indeed sent to Shkoogorg's to work under Sizz-Lorr as his new fry cook. Sizz-Lorr seemed to relish the task of tormenting Zim and making the little maniac suffer, but it was a detriment to his business among the Irken population. Shkoogorg's began to see a drastic demographic shift. As more Irkens began avoiding the restaurant more alien customers came in. Soon the menu began to change to reflect the new more alien-friendly Schkoogorg's.

This change didn't affect Dop much however since he continued to mostly eat at Ting Ting's Bakery on his snacking breaks. One side effect Dop had noticed since eating at the Vortian establishment was that he had lost a little weight. He was still fat mind you, but not as fat.

Dop went into the bakery and took his usual seat near the counter so he and Vio Mah could chat while he ate. Dop would never admit this to anyone, especially another Irken, but deep down he actually did like to carry on polite conversation. Some would say he was less than an Irken for craving companionship, so he kept these feelings to himself and felt grateful that Vio Mah never brought it up.

"So, what can I get you today, my number one customer?" Vio Mah asked playfully as she set out some twisty donuts.

"Those look fresh. Just give some a dozen of those," Dop replied as he pointed to the tray she just set down.

"You don't even know what these are, do you?" Vio Mah asked teasingly.

"No," Dop replied bluntly, and Vio Mah laughed heartily in reply.

Vio Mah gave Dop some of the mystery donuts and he started lazily eating and watching Vio Mah work. One thing she had learned about her 'number one customer' was that he had an odd habit of staring at people. She knew not all Irkens did this, and assumed it was just a quirk of the tubby cab driver.

"So, I heard Shkoogorg's is going to start carrying four varieties of Vort dogs," Vio Mah informed Dop, "I might have to go down there and try some sometime."

"I wouldn't if I were you," Dop warned her, "Zim still works there. Frankly I'm surprised he hasn't blown the restaurant into orbit by now."

"Isn't it kind of weird that a food service job was the worst punishment your computer brains could think of for their worst criminal?" Vio Mah asked curiously, "I mean, that's kind of insulting to our entire planet since it exists mainly for the food service industry. Couldn't they at least make Zim ship packages or something?"

"They didn't trust him with our mail," Dop replied, which earned another laugh from Vio Mah, "Anyway I prefer this place. Better atmosphere."

"Yeah, _great_ atmosphere. Mausoleum chic," Vio Mah snarked, "Come on Dop, you're not even a little curious about Schkoogorg's? I hear the place is completely different from what it used to be. You like non-Irken food, so you should at least try it once."

"Are you suggesting I eat somewhere else? Wouldn't that be bad for your business?" Dop asked in confusion.

"Not for just one day," Vio Mah replied, "I have full confidence in my product and I know after sowing your wild seeds you'll come back to me. You can't resist my Gildan bread."

At this Vio Mah let loose another airy laugh and turned to go into the kitchen. Dop noticed that Vio Mah laughed more in his presence now and came to the conclusion that she was finally comfortable around him. That might not be a good thing, since according to the gossip around Foodcourtia there might be another Operation Impending Doom. Dop didn't want Vio Mah to start thinking Irkens weren't dangerous because a lack of caution could cost the proprietor her life.

Dop finished his donuts and left the monies on the counter. He didn't even wait for Vio Mah to come back before he left.

* * *

The next day during his break Dop decided to take Vio Mah's advice and go to Schkoogorg's for lunch. He didn't really want to eat there, but a part of him was morbidly curious about what a restaurant with Zim working in it would look like. He also had to admit that he wanted to try Vort dogs.

He parked Kee Wai about two blocks from his destination and walked the rest of the way so none of his coworkers would know he was going to Schkoogorg's. He would've parked at the bakery, but he didn't want to get Vio Mah's hopes up. It wasn't that he was ashamed of going to Schkoogorg's, but he still didn't think it was anyone else's business.

He noticed that the walkways were packed. Considering how many people he had driven around on this day he didn't know where all these pedestrians were coming from. Then it suddenly hit him. The Foodening. The Foodening was only two weeks away. That made Dop happy though he didn't smile on the surface. He was going to drive for his first Foodening. His car was upgraded and ready to go, and he knew he would make a lot of monies over the next twenty years.

Dop entered the eatery and noticed that despite the knowledge of Zim working here the place was still packed. He also noted that there were many different types of faces here, and the only Irkens were the guys working the cash register and some poor slob wearing a Sizzly costume filled with hot grease.

 _Well that...seems rather cruel.._. Dop thought to himself as he watched the mascot dance around in the boiling costume.

Dop decided to ignore it and wait for his turn in line. He looked up at the menu and didn't recognize anything on it. He couldn't even read some of the offered foods due to them being written in their native languages. He decided he would keep his order simple so that if he didn't like it he could quickly run next door to Ting Ting's.

"Welcome to Schkoogorg's! My name is Gashloog! How can I help you today?" The cashier greeted him loudly so as to be heard over the noise of the crowd in the diner that day.

"Um, yeah, I'd like a bag of Vort dogs and a large Morf soda. That's all," Dop replied.

"That'll be 12 monies!" Gashloog yelled.

 _12 monies? What a rip off..._ Dop thought irritably as he handed over the monies. _Vio Mah's place is much cheaper._

A few minutes later Dop had his tray and sat down at a booth to eat. He had considered eating in his cab instead, but he parked two blocks away and didn't feel like walking that far with a greasy bag of Vort dogs. He really didn't feel like explaining why he was eating Vort dogs to anyone he might know.

He popped the first one into his mouth to see if he would like it. The taste was unimpressive, and Dop wondered if all Vort dogs were this unappetizing or if Schkoogorg's just put out an inferior product. He'd never ask though, because he didn't want to face the wrath of Sizz-Lorr.

Speaking of Sizz-Lorr's wrath...

"Hey, stop throwing your food at me, you little brat!" The guy in the Sizzly costume shouted, "You people can't treat me this way! I AM ZIM!"

That proclamation caused Dop to start choking on his Vort dogs. He beat his chest until he was able to swallow, and then he looked over at the mascot with a new perspective. That thing wasn't filled with white hot grease just because Sizz-Lorr was sadistic (well, that still might've been part of it), but it was a punishment meant specifically for Zim. Zim was right there all along and Dop had never noticed. Now he couldn't stop watching the tiny Irken as he worked. Dop ate slowly so he could continue to watch, and somehow Zim never noticed him doing so. Probably because the new mascot was so absorbed in his own world that nothing else could penetrate into his consciousness.

Dop finished off his soda with a few loud slurps and then decided he had had enough of this new Schkoogorg's. He was still kind of hungry and needed to get the taste of his food out of his mouth, so he took an extra ten minute break to walk over to Ting Ting's and get some Gildan bread for the road.


	6. The Nightmare Begins

_Author's Notes: First of all, big news regarding this story. A lovely user on deviantart by the name of **CitrusKissed** actually drew fanart of Kee Wai! That is the first time someone else has drawn anything inspired by one of my fics, and I was totally psyched when I saw it! She is such a talented artist, and Kee Wai turned out looking so pretty! ^_^_

 _Anyway, I'm sorry this update took so long. I've been trying to keep up with my fanfictions while also working on other projects, and it's meant slower updates on all of my stories. Don't worry though, slow doesn't mean stopped. Thank you all for sticking around, and I hope you enjoy this chapter of "Prisoners of Pride" :)_

* * *

Chapter 6

The Nightmare Begins

The gravity on Foodcourtia grew heavy as the sky darkened. Dop drove around in his cab and occasionally watched the other hover cars being pulled down to the planet's surface. This was the day he had been waiting for since being assigned his permanent position as a snackey cab driver; The Foodening. It had finally arrived for Foodcourtia, and for the next 20 years Dop was going to be very, very busy.

He had his special engine installed and would get to test it out in a few years when the first customers grew tired of the ritualistic gorging of their digestive organs and wanted to go home. Dop smiled as he patted the dashboard of his cab in an affectionate way. Irkens weren't really allowed to form close attachments to living people, so Dop would use up all his tender feelings on his cab. It was a reliable machine and was going to make him one very rich fat little Irken.

"Well Kee Wai, I hope you're up to the challenge of our new captive customer base," Dop said to his car as they drove toward the hub, "I think this is going to be a very good couple decades for us. Don't worry, I stocked up on grease to keep you shiny and air fresheners to keep the alien stink off you."

As he pulled into the hub he could see several cab drivers running around and yelling frantically. Dop sighed, knowing that something horrible must have happened and not really wanting to face whatever it was. He got out of his cab knowing that a certain slacker was sure to find him and-

" _Dop_!" Nalb screamed (right on cue) and ran straight for the portly cabbie, "Dop, it's terrible! It's the worst thing ever!"

"Your anti-gravity engine broke?" Dop guessed cynically.

"No, even worse than that!" Nalb shrieked, "Operation Impending Doom II was announced today!"

"So? Isn't that supposed to be good for the Empire?" Dop asked perplexedly.

"Normally it would be," Nalb explained as he tried not to panic again, "But not this time. Fry Cook Zim has escaped Foodcourtia right before the Foodening, and now he's on his way to Irk to disrupt the ceremony!"

Dop's eyes went wide as he processed what had just been told to him. Zim had escaped and Sizz-Lorr would not be able to leave orbit to go look for him. Dop had a cab that could leave the planet, but it was already too late to catch the runaway former soldier. Besides, the anti-grav engine wasn't legal, and Dop wasn't about to tell Sizz-Lorr about it. Zim was free, and now he was going to try to get another assignment from the Tallest. What would become of their invasion if Zim was allowed to interfere? It could be the end of the Irken Empire as they knew it.

"What should we do, Dop?" Nalb asked worriedly.

"What else?" Dop shrugged in resignation, "We should check our meters to make sure they are in working order, and then we should go out and drive customers around this gluttonous planet."

* * *

It had been 3 months since baby Dun Lard had entered the world and became a member of the family. Well, _member_ was a bit of an understatement. Kee Wai and Sol Ban were surprised at how quickly their child had become the center of their universe and also flustered by just how much work went into caring for a baby. Sol Ban had to go back to work at the Galaxus Center after 2 months, and neither one of them got much sleep due to Dun Lard's constant crying at night.

On this particular evening all was quiet as the couple had settled into a routine with their beloved offspring. Kee Wai was humming a lullaby as she fed Dun Lard and rocked in her cushioned rocking chair. She heard Sol Ban's hover car pull up in their garage which meant he would be inside soon. It used to be they would get home from work around the same time and greet each other, but now Kee Wai would stay where she was and wait for him to come to her so she wouldn't disturb the baby.

Right on cue Sol Ban came in and hung up his lab coat by the door. He walked over and stroked his son's head while the baby continued to feed.

"Ow!" Kee Wai yelped, "Honey, don't startle him. Dun Lard clamped down pretty hard there."

"I apologize," Sol Ban replied, though she could tell he was still in a pretty happy mood.

"You look like you have some news to tell, honey," Kee Wai observed as she smiled up at him.

"Indeed I do, dearest," Sol Ban replied in muted excitement; the most enthusiasm he was willing to express openly, "I believe that we are on our way to ending this petty feud our planet has had with the Irken Empire."

"Really? That's great! But wait, what makes you say that?" Kee Wait asked; hopeful but wary at the same time.

"Because Irk is sending an ambassador to our world to negotiate a reinstatement of the Irken embassy," Sol Ban explained, "His name is Larb, and from what I understand he is quite tall. The fact that the new Tallest sent a tall emissary must mean they're serious about forging good will between our two peoples again. That's not even the best part though."

"Oh? So what's the best part?" Kee Wai asked.

"The council elders have assigned me as one of the two Vortian guides to help Larb acclimate to Vort," Sol Ban beamed; a rare show of pride in his tone, "We'll show him the sights, help him learn about Vortian culture, and assist him if there are any complications involving Irken immigrants. My colleague and I need to go to the Galaxus Center and set up Larb's office. Larb has also expressed interest in seeing the universe's most comfortable couch, so I imagine we'll be quite busy when he gets here next cycle."

"Oh, well then I guess I won't see you around here for a while," Kee Wai surmised; a slight hint of disappointment in her tone, "It's alright though. This is the sacrifice we make to keep planet Vort safe. I hope Ambassador Larb likes you."

"I just hope that giant couch isn't occupied when we get there," Sol Ban replied with good humor, "I'll change clothes and rest for a few minutes. Do you want me to watch Dun Lard while you make dinner?"

"If you wouldn't mind that would be lovely," Kee Wai replied gratefully, "I think he's been missing his daddy. I know when I was his age I would cry if I was away from my father too long. Well, I don't actually remember it, but Mom told me stories about the hissy fits I would throw when Daddy went off to work. Actually, Dun Lard is pretty calm for a baby. Were you like that as an infant?"

"I believe so," Sol Ban replied, "My parents didn't mention any crying fits. Then again this isn't really a subject I spoke about with my parents often. My family isn't quite as demonstrative as yours, though my great grandfather was probably the most loving among my relatives."

Dun Lard chose that moment to start cooing and reaching for Sol Ban's shirt collar. Sol Ban looked trapped, and Kee Wai giggled at his predicament. Sol Ban tried to dislodge the baby's hand from the collar, but that just led to Dun Lard grabbing Sol Ban's fingers.

"He certainly knows how to get what he wants," Kee Wai remarked cheekily as Sol Ban lightly pulled to see if the baby would let go, "I think your great grandpa Dun Lard would be happy with his namesake. Our son is so smart."

"Just remember that smart doesn't always mean obedient," Sol Ban reminded her, "I can already tell that when he starts walking he'll become a handful."

"You don't know that," Kee Wai laughed as she worked Dun Lard's wrist to save her husband from the 'impenetrable' grasp, "I think he's going to be a perfect little angel. I think Dun Lard has a bright future ahead of him. He'll go to the best private schools and meet lots of fun kids his own age when he's older. He might even be a doctor someday."

"It will be easier now that I will work for Ambassador Larb," Sol Ban added, "The job pays more monies than I was making before. Things are finally looking up, both for us and for our people."

Kee Wai squealed softly in excitement and cuddled Dun Lard tighter against her bosom. She was so happy for everything that was going right in the world, and she wondered if anyone else had ever been as happy as she was now.

* * *

Irken ambassador Larb had been on Vort for a month, and Sol Ban's new job as his assistant kept him away from home even longer than he had been before. Kee Wai was happy for her husband that he was doing meaningful work, but she missed him when the evening was quiet and Dun Lard was nursing. It made Kee Wai realize how out of touch with the rest of the world she had become.

She couldn't remember the last time someone had come to visit her at her home. Her parents were retired and traveling the galaxy, she had no siblings, and most of her friends were actually just Sol Ban's friends. She didn't realize until that moment that she didn't really have any friends of her own, which was strange since she always liked to meet new people. Then again, being married and having a baby took up most of her time and need for Vortian connection, so it kind of made sense that she had become socially lazy.

She looked down at Dun Lard, who had let go of her breast and was now looking up at her with big curious green eyes. She could tell that even at this tender age he was learning, and he was clearly fascinated with the newness of the world around him. It made Kee Wai smile to see him so alert.

"You know what, Dun Lard?" Kee Wai spoke to her baby, "This old house is boring. We should go where the fun is. I tell you what, the Galaxus Center has lots of educational stuff for little ones, and that's also where Daddy is. You wanna go see Daddy?"

Dun Lard gurgled and giggled, indicating that he understood and did indeed want to go see his daddy. Kee Wai nodded and grabbed the baby bag. Dun Lard seemed just as excited as her as they left the house together. Little did they know this would be the last time they ever saw their family home again.

...

Sol Ban and his partner Leeb Hooga couldn't believe what they were seeing outside their window, and yet the screams they heard meant they could not deny it. Hundreds of SIR units had beamed down from an Irken battle cruiser and were now ravaging Vort! The two assistants of Larb had no idea what was going on since their Irken boss had told them nothing, but their eyes could see for themselves what was happening. It was an invasion.

"This can't be right," Leeb Hooga muttered as he paced back and forth, "This must be a misunderstanding. Surely if we find Larb he can talk to whichever trigger happy invader decided to attack our world. Perhaps then everything will settle down."

"I believe it would be more prudent to hide," Sol Ban replied with the same analytical tone he would use to discuss the weather, "I'm fairly sure Larb is involved in this. He probably set us up."

"But why would he do that? He loves Vort," Leeb Hooga tried to rationalize, "It must be an error."

"It is no error," Sol Ban insisted, "I should have known from the beginning. Larb is too tall to be a diplomat. Clearly it was all a ruse to get us to lower our defenses. Now our government is scrambling to deal with a threat it wasn't prepared for, and our world will be swept away at the command of the Tallest."

Leeb Hooga quivered in fear and started to cry. Sol Ban regretted hurting his colleague, but he would not take back what he said. The time they had left to live was short, and he wasn't going to waste it here in the Galaxus Mausoleum. He was going to try to run home to see his beloved wife and newborn son before it was too late, and he could only hope to make it there before a bloodthirsty SIR robot found him first.

...

Kee Wai raced through the city streets with Dun Lard in her arms. Everything had been fine when they left the house, but barely five minutes later the SIR units suddenly teleported onto the streets, and then the massacre began. It was probably a bad day to try to _walk_ to the Galaxus Center.

Kee Wai couldn't believe the Irkens were doing this, and yet a tiny part of her wasn't surprised at all. She knew deep down that they cared for no one, though she had tried for so much of her life to not think that way. Despite running for her life with her baby boy, Kee Wai still found room in her heart to worry about Sol Ban. He worked with Larb. That meant he could be executed by the Irken just for fun. Killing seemed to be the official Irken sport or something, considering how often they trained for it.

Kee Wai stopped when she saw the side entrance of Galaxus Center. She was so close and knew she should hurry up and run inside, yet something inside her forced her to look up at the now smoke-filled red sky. She knew the armada would not be visible if they were preparing for the organic sweep, yet part of her searched the heavens anyway. She remembered the day she played Irken invader with Dop and how he described the organic sweep, and the memory made her cringe now that Vort's demise was so close. Would her old childhood friend be among those destroying her home? She couldn't help but wonder.

Kee Wai managed to make her thin bony legs work harder than they had in forever as she ran inside the building. No SIR units noticed her, a fact that she was very grateful for. As she closed the door behind her and then leaned against it she breathed in and out several times to calm her nerves. Dun Lard looked up at her in wonderment, but didn't seem to understand the danger they were in. Then again, how could he? He was only 4 months old and had never known suffering or loss.

Kee Wai knew she had to find Sol Ban and make sure he was alright. She feared she would be too late to save him, or else he would be too late to save her. Either way she decided to turn on a recording device and started whispering out her living will just in case they didn't reunite in time. It was silly given the possibility of an organic sweep, but it still made Kee Wai feel better.

...

Sol Ban hadn't even made it out of the building yet when he saw that two SIR units were roaming the halls in search of victims. He hid behind a pedestal that held a bust of a famous scientist in the hopes that they wouldn't see him. Sol Ban tried to stall his breathing so that the murderous droids would leave him alone, yet to his own ears his breathing seemed louder than ever. He didn't dare move lest the metal beasts find him, and the twin SIR units were taking their sweet time scoping out the main lobby. It was torture waiting for them to leave.

It took 7 minutes, but the SIRs finally went down the opposite hall and left without noticing the Vortian scientist. Sol Ban allowed himself a quiet sigh of relief as he held onto the pedestal that had become his impromptu shield.

" _Ahem_ ," Someone behind Sol Ban cleared their throat.

Sol Ban turned around to see that Larb was right behind him staring him down as he cowered in fear. Sol Ban gingerly stood up so that he could at least attempt to not look like a weakling in front of the hardened Irken soldier. Looking into Larb's cold pitiless eyes, it made Sol Ban feel even dumber for not noticing sooner that Larb was in fact both a soldier and an invader.

"You know, I really expected more from you," Larb said smugly to the defeated Vortian, "So, where is the other one? Leet something."

"Leeb Hooga is not with me," Sol Ban answered vaguely, "If you need anything I am still here to assist you."

Larb's invisible eyebrows shot up in disbelief at the calm tone Sol Ban used with him as well as the casual offer of assistance.

" _You_ help _me_?" Larb asked incredulously, "Even though I am taking over your planet? Even though you and your people are doomed?"

"It will do me no good to resist you, sir," Sol Ban reasoned, "So I will continue my duties as your assistant if you allow me. Understand that under normal circumstances I wouldn't even consider this, but I have a family...and you alone can save them from the SIRs. I assure you that if you keep my wife and son alive you will earn my undying loyalty."

"Or I could just kill you all," Larb pointed out.

"You could, but so much knowledge would be lost," Sol Ban replied in an attempt to negotiate with the Irken, "There are many good Vortians on this planet that know things that would be of use to your people. Sir, keeping our population alive will benefit Irk. Just think about it, I implore you."

"Hmph, Even if Vort were to be spared, I see no reason why I should worry myself over you and your disgusting mate," Larb sneered, "I never really understood the attachment Vortians have to such concepts anyway. All you do is merge to form a new life form. You're basically reverse amoebas."

"There's more to it than that," Sol Ban contested, "My family is my world. Everything I do is for the protection and comfort of my family. I love my wife, and I love my son. I also love my parents and my extended relatives. Oh, why am I even bothering? You don't understand love. Irkens don't love anything but themselves, and some of you don't even love that much."

"Enough of you!" Larb snapped as he whipped out his gun and aimed it at Sol Ban's head.

Sol Ban gasped, but for some reason he didn't turn away from the nozzle of the gun. He knew he should close his eyes so he wouldn't see his own demise, but there was something oddly transfixing about staring at Larb and his weapon. It was most likely a deer in the headlights effect, but nonetheless Sol Ban's eyes felt trapped.

" _Nooo_!" A high pitched voice screamed as running footsteps approached Larb and Sol Ban.

Sol Ban turned to his left, and to his horror saw that Kee Wai was running right for them with baby Dun Lard in tow. He had wanted to see her, but not like this; not when his boss was holding a gun to his head ready to shoot him.

"Who are _you_?" Larb asked the pink Vortian petulantly.

"My name is Kee Wai, and I am Sol Ban's wife," Kee Wai replied as she bowed her head respectfully to the angry Irken, "Sir, are you the invader that was sent to take over Vort on behalf of the Tallest?"

"I am," Larb said as he cocked his head to look at her suspiciously, "So you are what Sol Ban mated with. He actually dared to call what he feels for you and the rest of his meat kin _love_. What a disgrace."

"Well sir, Vortians can feel love for their families," Kee Wai replied meekly; hoping not to upset the murderous invader, "I know your love is for the Tallest, and to you that is the only feeling strong enough to be called love. For us however it is different. We can love many people, especially those we know very well. I'm sure my husband meant no offense to you or your Tallest when he said these things. Please sir tell me, what did the Tallest order you to do with our world?"

"Why should I tell you anything, _Vortian_?" Larb asked hostilely.

"Well sir," Kee Wai sniffed as she started to weep, "I just want to know if anything of our people will be spared. If the Tallests want an organic sweep, then we are all doomed. I just want to know if our species will be allowed to survive, even if I and my family don't."

Sol Ban moved closer and hugged his wife and son. He knew this was likely the end for them, but at least they wouldn't have to die alone. He only hoped Dun Lard wouldn't suffer. Sol Ban couldn't understand why anyone would want to kill as pure and innocent a creature as a baby. Then again, Irkens were little more than military hardware as far as Sol Ban was concerned, so in a sick way it made sense.

"Vort is to be turned into a military research prison," Larb informed them, "The dumb Vortians are to be killed, the rebellious Vortians are to be killed, and the docile intellectuals are to be captured to continue work on weapons for the Irken Empire. Sol Ban, since you offered yourself to me I will most likely spare you. Your offspring will be housed in a separate facility designed to educate Vortlings in the ways of obedience to the Irken race."

Sol Ban breathed a sigh of relief. They would live. Working with Larb had apparently been enough to spare them after all.

"So, what does your brood mate do for a living?" Larb asked, "Is she intelligent as well?"

"Yes," Sol Ban quickly answered, "She is a chemist."

"What? Sol Ban-!" Kee Wai began to protest.

"Don't be _modest_ , honey," Sol Ban replied in slow forceful tones to indicate she shouldn't interrupt, "Kee Wai is brilliant and will make a fine addition to your research team."

Kee Wai keened softly in nervousness. She was merely an accountant, and her IQ level had been a sore spot for her ever since she was a little girl. She wasn't smart. Most planets would have called her average, but on Vort she was just stupid.

"Very well," Larb nodded haughtily at the trembling family of Vortians, "You shall be kept alive to make weapons for the Empire. Be aware that your lives will depend on your absolute cooperation as well as your ability to avoid injury. There will be no medical facilities provided for you. If you die, you die. We don't care. Now, follow me to the holding area for captured scientists."

Sol Ban held onto Kee Wai's shoulders as they walked behind Larb. Kee Wai didn't want to upset Sol Ban by telling him this, but she understood that they didn't escape unharmed as it appeared. The Irkens were forming a prison designed to milk the Vortians for all they were worth and then work the entire species to death. She already knew the Irkens were capable of genocide, but this was even worse. The Irkens were not only taking their planet and their lives, but their legacy as well.


	7. Brain Power

_Author's Notes: Long chapter is long. I know this should have probably been two chapters, but I wanted to get everything out at once. I also apologize for taking so long to update this story. Hopefully those of you that read this chapter will believe it was worth the wait ':)_

* * *

Chapter 7

Brain Power

Prison life was hard on Kee Wai. The walls were nothing more than electrified energy shields, the beds were hard and uncomfortable (an unforgivable sin to a Vortian designer), and the work was grueling and ever-changing.

The first thing that happened was that Sol Ban and Kee Wai had been separated from each other, leaving Kee Wai holding their baby as she was led away from her husband. It wasn't that Irkens cared about cohabitation, it was just that they knew their prisoners were more docile and cooperative when separated. After that Kee Wai's son Dun Lard had been taken from her and placed in a special section of the prison on the basement level for Vortlings. Kee Wai had not seen either of them since.

The first job Kee Wai had was on an assembly line where sharp things were made for battle robots. On the one hand she was grateful to not be on the research team since she was so stupid and didn't want to be exposed as a fraud. On the other hand the assembly line was dangerous, and she had seen other inmates lose their limbs and sometimes even die from their untreated infected injuries.

She missed many things about life before the Irken occupation of Vort. Every day she thought about her husband and her son, both brought to the same building complex as her yet she was not allowed to see either of them.

When her thoughts weren't on her family they would wander to smaller things she missed. Like meat. The Irkens didn't allow the Vortians to eat meat because of cost and the fact that it made Vortians stronger than the slimey-stuff diet they were currently on. If the food wasn't green it was brown, and it always tasted terrible. Kee Wai also missed being allowed to shower. She would've assumed the cleanliness-obsessed Irkens would allow showers, but they feared Vortians either escaping or copulating in those rooms, and no Irken wanted to deal with either of those things. It felt like the Vortians were being punished just for being alive.

Kee Wai also hated her cell. The energy flowing all around the room made it bright all the time, which made it hard to sleep and drove some prisoners insane. They could see each other clearly, and to the untrained eye it looked as if they could walk up to each other, but they couldn't. Kee Wai felt both entombed yet utterly exposed in her little patch of room. It looked like she could just walk away, but doing so would kill her. She was like a fly trapped on the inside of a bug zapper.

She worked the assembly line job for two stressful months before the taskmasters moved her to a chemical mixing room. Her resume listed her as a chemist, so they wanted her to research combinations that would be deadly to various different species of food crops on alien worlds. Kee Wai felt even more nervous here, because she knew she was a fraud.

Kee Wai didn't want the job, but she was too nervous to voice an objection to the Irken leading her to her new desk. When she got there she saw there were two chairs at the desk, and one was already occupied by another scientist. Her new research partner was a female Vortian as well, middle-aged and fat, with brownish red fur that was the color of a deep jasper stone. Her horns looked cracked and her yellow eyes had an intense focus to them as she observed a test tube in her hand.

"Um, hello ma'am," Kee Wai said softly, almost whispering, "My name is Kee Wai, and I have been assigned to help you with your work."

"Hey newbie," The other Vortian said in a gravelly voice, "Name's Yoli Chizel. You a new capture or were you transferred from another department?"

"Transferred," Kee Wai replied shyly, "I was on an assembly line."

"I see, so you've never built or concocted anything?" Yoli Chizel asked, and Kee Wai nodded timidly, "Good, then there's just one word of advice I've got for you. Screw up, but don't make it obvious that you're screwing up."

"Um...excuse me?" Kee Wai asked; not sure she heard that right, "You want me to sabotage our project? But the Irkens will kill us if we don't give them what they want. I have a baby here somewhere and I'll never see him again if I die. Please don't get me in trouble! I want to live!"

"Shh! They'll hear you if you start shouting," Yoli Chizel admonished, "Now, they won't catch us if we do our jobs right. The point is to get our faulty products on the battlefield and get their mindless drones to use them. It might damage some SIR units, maybe even incapacitate some Irken soldiers. Either way, we have to try something."

Kee Wai said nothing, but Yoli Chizel could see the downcast look of uncertainty and fear on her face.

"Look kid," Yoli Chizel said, "I know how you feel. I have a son too. He just turned two years old. His name is Kly Per. He has fur as black as the night sky and runs like the wind despite not even talking in complete sentences yet. He's a born athlete, just like his father. Understand that if we don't stop the Irkens from within that they will take everything we have, and then our children will have no future beyond being slaves to the Irken machine. Do you see why we have to do this?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kee Wai whispered as she dared to look Yoli Chizel in the eye, "I'll do what I can, for Dun Lard and for our people."

"That's the spirit," Yoli Chizel replied encouragingly.

"Just so you know though," Kee Wai added sheepishly, "I'm not actually a chemist. I lied to Invader Larb so I wouldn't be executed, but I was just an accountant."

"Perfect," Yoli Chizel replied with a shrewd smirk, "Between my calculated sabotage and your ineptitude, we'll take down some Irken scum."

That conversation had been months ago. Kee Wai couldn't remember if she had been in the prison 10 months or 11 at this point, but she actually enjoyed and looked forward to her time in the chem lab with Yoli Chizel. Yoli Chizel had become her best friend in the time they worked together, and Kee Wai actually learned a lot about the chemicals they were working with. She felt like she had a basic working knowledge now, though she still messed up a lot (thankfully).

On this particular day Yoli Chizel and Kee Wai were working on a catalogue of their previous attempts at a new salve that would rehydrate Irken soldiers in battle when their drink supplies ran low. Of course Yoli actually wanted the stuff to dehydrate the Irkens faster, thus killing them while they were on the battlefield. Kee Wai didn't actually do much on the project since she didn't know anything, but she did her best to keep Yoli Chizel company.

"And then he proposed to me on the very park bench where his great grandparents would spend their days feeding the insects and talking," Kee Wai swooned over her story about how she and Sol Ban got engaged, "We had to wait seven years before we could actually get married though. He had to take a part time job while he was in university to support his mother and younger siblings. Oh, but it was worth the wait though!"

"You've told me this story before," Yoli Chizel remarked as she typed at the computer console, "I've done the math though, and figured out that you got married around the same time Tallest Miyuki was killed. I don't believe in omens, but a more superstitious person would call that a bad sign."

"I just call it a bad event," Kee Wai replied sadly, "You know, when I was little I used to think Irkens were good. I supported them being on Vort, but to be honest...even when I was a kid there were warning signs."

"Nobody saw it, except a few free thinkers that were ignored," Yoli Chizel sighed, "We knew the Irkens were callous, but we had no idea they were so sadistic. I assumed they had no feelings, but now I think they do."

"Really?" Kee Wai asked in surprise.

"Yeah, they have feelings...because they truly enjoy it when we suffer," Yoli Chizel replied bitterly, "They don't just fight out of duty, they want this. Larb loves his job, and so do his cronies. Personally I think it's too late for Vort as a culture. The best we can hope for is survival for our children. We still have a purpose though. We're the last line of defense for other countless species that still have a fighting chance against the Irken machine. That's why it's our patriotic duty as citizens of the universe to be as lazy, incompetent, and devious as we can be."

That was a weird way to put it, but Kee Wai understood what Yoli Chizel meant. They had to try their best to do their worst. Yoli typed several chemical recipes into the computer, and she made several mistakes in her record keeping; even omitting a few key minerals and liquids.

The pair were both still working when suddenly the door to their tiny lab opened and a surly looking Irken guard entered the room.

"How may we serve you, sir?" Kee Wai asked politely as she ducked her head at the Irken soldier.

"Both of you. Come with me," The Irken replied in clipped tones, "Now!"

Kee Wai gulped and Yoli Chizel took a deep breath, but both got out of their chairs and obeyed. They walked down the hall with the tightly wound guard and noticed that the halls were crowding with more Irken guards and Vortian prisoners. Kee Wai feared this was a trap. She wondered if they were being taken somewhere to be shot and killed, but she didn't voice it. There was no point. She was at least grateful to notice that there were no children in this group, so if it was a firing squad the little ones might be spared.

Kee Wai was turned around to enter a room while Yoli Chizel was forced to continue moving. Kee Wai looked at the room, and saw many skool desks with many Vortian prisoners already sitting down. She saw a few empty seats, including one next to someone she feared she would never see again; her beloved Sol Ban.

She hurried to take the seat next to where her mate was and whispered "Sol Ban, you're still alive! Thank the almighty."

"Kee Wai, I thought I would never see you again," Sol Ban whispered back, "How have you been?"

"Fine," Kee Wai lied, "I currently work in a chemistry lab with a good hearted scientist named Yoli Chizel. Where have you been assigned?"

"The design ward," Sol Ban replied tiredly, "I actually work with the man who came up with the original design for The Massive. He's been punished with solitary confinement several times now, and I think he's starting to go a little mad."

"And you?" Kee Wai asked in concern.

"I am surviving," Sol Ban replied neutrally, "Have you been permitted contact with Dun Lard?"

"No. Have you?" Kee Wai asked hopefully.

"No," Sol Ban whispered in despair, "Though I have discovered the location of where the infants and toddlers are being held."

Sol Ban then discreetly looked at the Irken guard to see if anyone was watching him. Satisfied that they weren't, he pulled a small folded piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Kee Wai, who tucked it into her own sleeve without looking at it.

"That's the map of the prison I've been able to compile," Sol Ban explained, "I don't know every part, but this is what I can figure out. Find someone who can organize a riot, and then take the opportunity to save the Vortlings."

"Sol Ban, we'll be killed!" Kee Wai hissed softly.

"There is nothing left to do," Sol Ban insisted, "I do not know what will become of us if we stay, but I highly doubt the Irkens intend to let us go. Do not let them win, I beg you."

"Why give it to me?" Kee Wai asked.

"Because designers are watched constantly," Sol Ban replied, "No one will suspect you, since you work in a small lab performing a virtually inconsequential task. My love, we have one chance to take a stand, and no more. Please just-"

Before Sol Ban could finish there was a shrill whistle from the front of the room, and every prisoner looked attentively at the prison warden. He was a tall Irken with an angry face, though it seemed most of them had angry faces these days. Several prisoners shook, afraid of what the warden would do to them.

"Listen up, worms!" The warden intoned, "You're here to take a test to measure your intelligence. The range of intellect according to the Irken scale is between 400 to 10,000 and will be judged based on problem solving, mathematic skills, language comprehension, military knowledge, snack preparation, and physics. Anyone scoring below 5,000 will be deprived food rations for the next week. Anyone scoring over 9,000 will be released from the prison. We are looking for the best and brightest, and the stupid will suffer. You have three hours. Begin!"

The Vortians immediately grabbed their styluses and started examining the test on their data pads. Kee Wai felt a mixture of emotions over this as she tried to concentrate. On the one hand she worried she would lose her food rations. She wasn't smart enough to be in this prison at all (strange as that sounded to her), and there was little chance she could score a 2,000; let alone the 5,000 she needed to keep eating.

On the other hand, she thought this might be Sol Ban's ticket to freedom. He was one of the most intelligent males she knew. He might even score a 9,900. If he could just pass this test, then he could get free. If he could get free, then he could find allies to save the rest of them. At the very least, perhaps he could convince the Irkens to give him their son back. Even if Kee Wai were left to rot, she would be happy to see her family leave this fetid dungeon.

* * *

Dop was sitting at his usual table at Ting Ting's bakery eating some Gildan bread and listening to Vio Mah's anecdote about her childhood. He listened, but only in the vaguest sense of the word. He didn't actually care about her stories, but he found that aliens got offended if you told them as much so he just listened and ate his snack.

"And it was just so embarrassing!" Vio Mah exclaimed, "I mean, he was the cutest boy I had ever seen and I spilled liquid dough all over him! If it had been any hotter outside he would've been covered with insta-bake bread! Hahahaha!"

"Mhm," Dop nodded as he continued to munch on his treat, "So...I'm guessing you were embarrassed because you blew an opportunity to mate with this guy, huh?"

"Uh, I wouldn't put it like that," Vio Mah replied awkwardly, "I mean, we were kids. It was just a crush, you know? It's like...well, it's like a hormonal shift where you get lovey-dovey feelings for a person, but you're not at a stage where you want sex or marriage or anything. It's like your mind is practicing for bigger things to come. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Not really, but it doesn't matter," Dop shrugged, "Irkens don't form amorous bonds."

"So you've never thought anyone was cute?" Vio Mah asked skeptically.

"Define cute," Dop replied.

"Oh you know. Attractive. Cute. Hot. Beautiful," Vio Mah rattled off, "I mean, do Irkens have a concept of beauty?"

"Of course we do," Dop replied in offense, "One could not recognize ugliness without recognizing beauty. For instance, Sizz-Lorr is ugly."

Vio Mah laughed out loud at hearing that sudden proclamation.

"And also, watching a blob eat for too long is ugly," Dop continued.

"Haha! Okay, I get ugly, but what about beautiful?" Vio Mah asked, "Actually, I'm curious. Do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Yes," Dop replied matter-of-factly.

"Wait, really?" Vio Mah was shocked Dop would admit that so freely, "You think I'm pretty?"

"Yes. You remind me the paintings that hang on the lobby wall of the Galaxus Center on Vort," Dop replied casually, not understanding the romantic implications of his words.

"Wow, you've seen the Galaxus Center?" Vio Mah asked in awe, "And...you think Vortian art is beautiful? That I'm...beautiful? Wow Dop, I didn't know you could be so cultured."

"I was a smeet when I went to train on Vort," Dop explained, "The Galaxus Center was a tourist destination for Irkens as well as the main research center for many of our warships. I found Vort to be a decent and useful planet with accommodating natives."

The truth was that wasn't the half of it for Dop. He actually cared a great deal about Vort and its people. Vortians weren't like other inferior species to Dop. They were intellectual equals to Irkens, and he did indeed find their forms to be artistically beautiful. Not that art was any of his business. He was just a young snackey cab driver.

"That sounds so cool," Vio Mah commented wistfully, "I wish I could see Vort, just once. I grew up here as you know, and there isn't even an education facility on this planet. I probably wouldn't fit in on Vort. I only know how to make snacks."

"True, but your snacks are fit for The Massive," Dop replied encouragingly.

"Oh, Dop," Vio Mah sighed fondly at the portly Irken, "You really know how to charm a girl, you know that?"

"I wasn't aware of that," Dop replied.

"Do you think my bakery would be more successful on Vort?" Vio Mah suddenly asked, "I've seriously considered moving there once I save up enough monies."

"Um, you...you haven't heard, have you?" Dop realized.

"Haven't heard what?" Vio Mah asked innocently.

"About Vort," Dop replied; his voice soft as a whisper, "Vio Mah, I assumed you knew, but Vort was invaded several months ago. The Irken Empire has ransacked the entire planet, and Vort has been reformatted into a military prison complex. I'm sorry, but the splendor of your home world is no more."

" _What_!?" Vio Mah screamed, "You knew, for _months_ , that your species had enslaved mine? And you _didn't tell me!_?"

"I thought you knew," Dop replied almost indifferently.

"How could you?" Vio Mah cried out, "How could you sit here and talk to me like everything was fine when my world is practically destroyed? When my people are suffering and dying? How could you act like everything is okay!?"

"Everything _is_ okay here on Foodcourtia," Dop shrugged, "You don't live there, Vio Mah. Vort isn't your problem."

"You...you...you don't even care," Vio Mah choked out amid her grief and anger, "You're just like the rest of them. You don't feel anything about Vort, or any other planet your people crush under their heels. You can talk about how much you liked Vort while paying no mind to its destruction. You can talk to me like a friend while the rest of my people rot in prisons and die."

"We were friends?" Dop asked obliviously.

Vio Mah's eyes widened at that casually uttered question, and she breathed in and out in barely contained rage.

"How...? If we weren't friends, then what were we?" Vio Mah demanded to know.

"Well, you are a baker, and I am your customer," Dop replied, though he suspected that was the wrong thing to say.

"I hate you," Vio Mah declared as tears streaked down her face, "Monster! Murderers! From now on, I don't serve Irkens! Get out of my restaurant! _Get out!_ "

Dop could have argued with Vio Mah. He could have attacked her with little recourse given his status as an Irken on Foodcourtia. He didn't though. He merely nodded and left without a word. This was a rather devastating blow to Dop for many reasons, not the least of which was the loss of his favorite place to eat.

Vio Mah locked the front door to her shop and then ran upstairs to her living space; crying loudly all the way. She threw herself on the living room couch and cried into the soft comfortable cushions. So much had been devastated by a few words from her former best customer. Her planet was in tatters, and any tiny illusions about Irken moral character were gone.

Ting Ting heard her daughter crying and shambled into the room to see what was wrong.

"Vio Mah, are you alright?" Ting Ting asked worriedly, "Did something happen?"

"Vort is dying," Vio Mah managed through her tears, "Our people are Irken slaves, and we are among the only ones safe in our own home. Dop told me everything."

"My goodness," Ting Ting said slowly as she sat down next to Vio Mah, "I can see how this could happen. Vort doesn't really have an independent military for these things. Hopefully though diplomatic talks will reinstate soon."

"Don't you get it, Ma? Vort is dead!" Vio Mah shouted wildly, "There is no such thing as a diplomatic solution to an Irken invasion! You know the worst part though? This has been going on for _months_! Months! Dop has been coming into the bakery multiples times a day every day, and not once did he say anything! He wouldn't have said anything now if I didn't mention traveling to Vort! He wasn't even bothered by it! He acted like I was the crazy one because I cared about what happened to my own people! I hate him..."

"You weren't rash with him, were you?" Ting Ting asked in alarm, "Vio Mah, Irkens that feel slighted are very dangerous. Do you think he'll come back to hurt us?"

"I...I didn't think about that," Vio Mah replied timidly; realizing her potential mistake, "I just...I couldn't take it. You could've asked him the time of day, and he would've shown as much feeling as he did for the enslavement of innocent Vortians. He had just told me how beautiful I was and how great Vort was when he was little, and then he tells me my home world is a smoldering prison! Who does that!?"

"You love him, don't you?" Her mother asked knowingly.

"Huh?" Vio Mah grunted in muted surprise.

"Dop, you're in love with him," Ting Ting repeated, "I've seen it for a while now. You look forward to his daily visits, and you've started polishing your horns in anticipation of his arrival. You've also been very curious about Irken mating rituals lately. I see your internet history. Didn't find anything, did you?"

"Dop says they don't mate, or fall in love," Vio Mah muttered; drained from her outburst, "I asked him if he understood beauty though, and he said he did. He said I was beautiful, like a painting."

"That's a surprisingly apt way to describe the Irken standard of beauty," Ting Ting said wanly, "A painting of worth is incredibly beautiful, sometimes hauntingly so, but it is not something that is meant to be touched or used for anything other than the eyes. That's how Irkens view physical beauty, as something to look at but not touch. I know you don't want to hear this, but Dop could never love you the way a Vortian needs to be loved."

"I know. He's an unfeeling machine," Vio Mah said bitingly, "He doesn't care about anything."

"Now you don't know that," Ting Ting corrected her daughter, "I'll admit, Irkens are mysterious despite our constant exposure to them. Still, I believe they are more than just machines. I think Dop thinks more of you than you realize. Just give him time, and maybe he'll realize how awful Vort's plight truly is."

* * *

The test was finally over, and Kee Wai was sure she had failed. She knew most of the math questions on the test, but math was such an easy topic for Vortians in general that it didn't even count for much of their grade. Kee Wai felt like she was back in basic education again, and she could tell the other prisoners were having similar thoughts. Even Sol Ban looked exhausted after that test!

They all had to sit at the desks while the computer compiled their results. With the warden watching them all closely, no one dared to talk or even move too much. Kee Wai wanted to say so many things to Sol Ban while they had these few precious moments together, but she couldn't. She wanted to wish him good results, she wanted to say one more time that she loved him, and she wanted to wish for Dun Lard's safe return. She couldn't though, so she waited.

The computer beeped, indicating the tests from every room in the prison had finished being processed. The warden looked at the names and the scores, and nodded as he read. Every Vortian waited with bated breath, hoping that none of them scored too low to get their rations taken away.

"Ah, this is very good," The warden said, and then he looked up to address the prisoners, "Alright worms, apparently Prisoner #275 received a score of 9,897; one of the highest scores in the facility. Congratulations, you have earned your release from this prison."

Sol Ban gasped, realizing that this was his number. Kee Wai figured it out as well, and squealed with joy at her husband being free. The warden sent her an angry look, and she sunk back down into her seat apologetically.

The warden then pushed a button that revealed a door that read: SKRANG. No one knew what that word meant since it was Irken, but they hoped that for once it was something good.

"Alright then, Prisoner #275, go through that door to get your reward," The warden said in a bored tone of voice, "The other winners will go to the Skrang room as well to await our chief scientist. Everyone else, you weren't good enough, so get back to work!"

"Excuse me, sir?" A young Vortian male said timidly as he raised his hand, "Have any of us lost our food this week?"

" _Shut up, idiot_!" The female next to him hissed quietly.

"No, you will all be allowed to continue eating, but only if you continue working," The warden replied reasonably, "Now, everyone follow the guards back to your work station."

The Vortians got up and shuffled along to the door. Kee Wai took a final moment to smile and wave goodbye to Sol Ban. He waved back with a reassuring smile. She hoped that once he was free he would be able to find a way to get her and Dun Lard out as well. She only hoped they weren't going to make him do anything bad like work for the Tallest or something like that. Then again, Sol Ban was smart. Whatever the Irkens had planned, she knew he could handle himself.

* * *

The next few days were off-routine for Dop, and he didn't like it. He went back to eating at Shkoogorgh's, and it just didn't feel the same. Sure, they had deep fried foods as well as healthy sugary snacks, but it didn't have that comforting quality that Vio Mah's pastries and bread had. He missed his normal food, and he missed having conversations with the Vortian baker.

Driving his cab was at least a normal thing in his life. One thing he started noticing though was how many of his alien passengers looked sullen and downcast. This was The Foodening, the greatest holiday on Foodcourtia. He'd never seen people get upset this early.

He also noticed that there were more suitcases than before. Sure, people tended to pack a lot of stuff for The Foodening, but this felt different. Instead of hotels many of these aliens were taking their packed stuff to new restaurants and gift shops. They were clearly business owners and employees. Why were there suddenly so many new alien business owners?

That was when it hit Dop. Operation Impending Doom II. These weren't just new employees and entrepreneurs; they were refugees from conquered planets.

Dop gripped his steering wheel as he dropped off a cone shaped alien with a derpy smile. The alien tipped him generously and then hovered away with several hovering boxes following him out. Of course he was dropped off at a new alien frozen treats parlor.

The cabbey knew he shouldn't care about what happened to a few dozen alien worlds, but ever since he saw the hurt and anger Vio Mah felt it made him wonder about how aliens felt about this. Sure, Vort had allowed the deaths of two Tallests, but the other alien planets had done nothing. The new Tallests just wanted Irk to own everything. Dop wasn't against that exactly, but he also wasn't sure if he entirely agreed with it. The situation confused him.

Taking a deep breath, he realized what he wanted to do. He wanted to go back to Ting Ting's bakery, make peace with Vio Mah, and get his delicious Vortian snacks back. Maybe Vio Mah could help him sort out his feelings.

Dop drove until he was close to Shkoogorgh's and Ting Ting's, but when he got there he couldn't believe what he saw.

Ting Ting's was decimated. The big windows were broken, the building was riddled with holes made by laser fire, and as Dop looked inside he could see the display case and ovens were smashed and broken too. Everything had been wrecked.

Dop walked in with his PAK's blaster at the ready, just in case whoever did this was still there. He couldn't understand how anyone could attack a restaurant during The Foodening. It was sacrilege!

Dop had never been beyond the dining area before, but he felt he had to go past the kitchen to the upstairs to see if Vio Mah and her family were okay. He went past the ruined stoves and microwaves to the staircase, and noted how dark everything looked. The only light came from the holes blasted into the walls. There were more laser fire holes along the hallway, and every door had been thrown open.

His squeedlyspooch felt like it was about to burst out of his abdomen as Dop checked the first room. Clothes were strewn everywhere, and there was dried spray paint on the wall. No one was there. Dop looked at the spray paint, and in Irken lettering it read DEATH TO VORT.

With renewed haste, Dop checked every room. No one in the master bedroom, no one in their toilet room, no one in the TV room. Nothing. When Dop made it to their living room however, he saw someone face down on the couch. The blue-grey fur told him it was Shir Lee, Vio Mah's father. There was dried blood on his body, and a charred hole in his chest. Dop knew he was dead, but checked just in case. The body was cold, so he had been lying there for a while. Dop had only met the older male once, yet was surprised to find he felt hurt by this loss. More than that though, he feared for Vio Mah.

She was missing. Dop searched all over the building, but Vio Mah and her mother were just...gone.

* * *

A week had gone by since the test and Sol Ban's release, and Kee Wai had been moved to janitorial duty due to her low score on the test. She had indeed only received a 1,580 on the test, but instead of no food the Irkens merely demoted her. She considered it merciful, and thanked them for not starving her.

She would still hang out in the chem lab when it was time to clean there, and take a little longer than she needed to so she could talk to Yoli Chizel. The older female was still sabotaging the Irken's plans for chemical warfare, and thus far she still had not been caught. Kee Wai thought Yoli Chizel was so brave, and she knew she could never be as brave without encouragement from Yoli Chizel and Sol Ban. She just wasn't wired for heroism.

One thing Kee Wai liked about her job was being able to see more of the prison and being able to move. She wasn't cooped up in a cell or in a lab, and as long as she kept her head down and did as she was told the Irkens didn't bother her too badly. All in all, it wasn't as bad a life as when she was first confined.

One this particular day she was mopping up the hallway where a prisoner had thrown up. There was blood mixed in with the barf, and Kee Wai knew it was most likely because the guards had beaten the prisoner for messing up their clean floor. She hated the way her fellow Vortians were treated, and only hoped Sol Ban had made progress toward releasing her and her son.

As she walked by she noted the door that read SKRANG. It was where Sol Ban had gone through, and she was curious as to what was in there. Maybe it was a hangar for shuttles. Her knowledge of native Irken was next to nonexistent, so she had no way of figuring out what that word meant.

She used her key card to open the door, wondering if it would even work. Much to her surprise it did work, so she went inside with her mop and rolling bucket to clean. She would find out what was so special about this room, and maybe even figure out why the Irkens freed ten Vortian prisoners that day a week prior.

The room was dark except for a few green lights that illuminated beakers and jars. The room looked like a laboratory, but she wasn't sure what they were studying. As she mopped the floor further she saw there were small operating tables strewn about. Those were likely for Vortians since the size was perfect for that, so she figured this must be where Vortians took medical exams. This surprised Kee Wai, since the Irkens specifically said they would offer no medical care to their prisoners.

Just then, a couple Irken guards entered the room with a hunched over Irken that looked like a scientist. Kee Wai gasped softly and knew she likely wasn't allowed in the room. Rather than run though, she just continued mopping so it would be obvious why she was there. Fortunately for her, the Irkens were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice Kee Wai.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure the Tallest will be pleased with your work," The scientist said to the guards, "These Vortians are very docile. However, that is not why I'm here. My new PAK is erasing some of my core memories and I need to speak to Trel about tweaking the input levels. I find I cannot remove my PAK anymore since the procedure."

"Of course, Skrang," One of the guards said with a bow, "Anything for a member of the Tallests' court."

So, that was Skrang. Kee Wai observed him while continuing to mop the floor. He seemed content to ignore her, and she did nothing to bring attention to herself. This Irken looked very odd though. There was a large tube protruding from his oversized PAK to his head, and his back seemed to strain from the weight of such a heavy device. She had never seen an Irken that couldn't handle their own PAK. It looked like it wasn't even made for him.

When his back turned however, Kee Wai could hardly process what she was seeing. There was a label on the PAK that read VORTIAN BRAINS, and there seemed to be about ten brains floating around in a liquid preserver. That wasn't just a PAK, it was a giant jar containing severed brains from dead Vortian prisoners!

Kee Wai quickly left the room, not even bothering to take her bucket with her. She felt tears streaming down her eyes, but she couldn't control it. She understood everything now. The Irkens had lied to them all. Sol Ban wasn't free. He was dead. He was dead and his brain was inside that monster's PAK.


End file.
